PRISONERS OF 
THE GREAT WAR 

Br 

CARL P. DENNETT 





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COJPXRIGHT DEPOSm 



Prisoners of the Great War 




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PRISONERS 
OF THE GREAT WAR 

AUTHORITATIVE STATEMENT 

OF CONDITIONS IN THE PRISON 

CAMPS OF GERMANY 

BY 

CARL P. DENNETT 

AMERICAN RED CROSS DEPUTY COMMISSIONER TO SWITZERLAND 

IN CHARGE OF FINDING, FEEDING, CLOTHING AND 

OTHERWISE CARING FOR AMERICAN PRISONERS 

IN GERMAN PRISON CAMPS 




BOSTON AND NEW YORK 

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY 

(Cfee Iftitierjsibe pxe^^ €amhriti0e 

1919 



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COPYRIGHT, 1919, BY HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY 
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 



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A530587 



DEDICATED TO THE 

AMERICAN RED CROSS 



Contents 



I. 


Returning Prisoners 


I 


II. 


Suffering in German Camps 


13 


III. 


Finding the Prisoners 


22 


IV. 


Food and Clothing 


28 


V. 


When a Prisoner is Captured 


35 


VI. 


Living Conditions 


48 


VII. 


Reports by Neutral Delegates 


56 


VIII. 


Escapes 


95 


IX. 


Human Wreckage 


145 


X. 


Appreciation 


153 


XI. 


Agreements and Treaties 


164 


XII. 


Abuses 


201 


XIII. 


Conclusion 


226 



Illustrations 



A ** Cootie Hunt" at Munster Frontispiece 

American Prisoner Train passing through Berne en 

ROUTE TO France 2 

An East-Indian Prisoner 6 

American Camp Help Committee at Brandenburg 10 

In Front of U.S. Military Attache's Office, Berne, 

November, 191 8 22 

Major Carl P. Dennett, Colonel W, F. H. Godson, 
Major Ernest Schelling, and Lieutenants De Waldt 
and Howe 

Contents of First Parcel sent to Prisoners 28 

**Army A" Food Parcel (First Week) 30 

**Army B" Food Parcel (Third Week) 30 

**Army C" Food Parcel (Second Week) 32 

*'Army D" Food Parcel (Fourth Week) 32 

Outfit for Military Prisoners 36 

Storehouse for Reserve Supplies at Lausanne 42 

Living and Dead Italian Soldiers in the Prison Camp 

OF Sigmundsherberg, Austria 46 

All Prisoners were compelled to face toward the 

German Officers in Passing 50 

Parcel Day in a German Prison Camp 50 

American Prisoners' Band at Rastatt Prison 54 

American Prisoners at Rastatt Prison receiving 

their Red Cross Parcels 54. 

ix 



Illustrations 

Outfit for All Civilian Prisoners 5^ V 

In the Prison Camp at Villingen, Germany 72 

Major Sarda, of the Spanish Artillery, Official Rep- 
resentative of the United States Government for the 
Inspection of German Prison Camps ; Major Harry 
Brown and Major Dirk Bruins, Prisoners of War 

Everett Buckley, the First American Prisoner to 

ESCAPE into Switzerland 96 

Thomas Hitchcock, Jr., as he appeared on his Escape 

from Germany 104 

Members of Rastatt Camp Committee 156 / 

Members of Rastatt Camp Committee who volun- 
teered to remain behind to assist in the Repatria- 
tion of Sick and Wounded American Prisoners of 
War 226 

Medal struck by the German Government to com- 
memorate their Expected Triumphal Entry into 
Paris in 1914 232 



Prisoners of the Great War 



PRISONERS 
OF THE GREAT WAR 

Chapter I 

RETURNING PRISONERS 

Under the French and English agreements 
with Germany it was provided that prisoners 
suffering from certain classes of wounds or dis- 
eases should be interned in Switzerland for the 
duration of the war. Later it was provided that 
prisoners of a certain age (forty-five to forty- 
eight years), who had been in prison camps for 
a total of eighteen months or more, were to 
be exchanged head for head under conditions 
which prohibited them from going within a 
certain distance of the front during the war. 

As a result of these agreements thousands of 
prisoners of war were interned in Switzerland 
or passed through in the process of being ex- 
changed. 

For the most part the trains of returning 
prisoners arrived at Berne at 1.50 in the morn- 

I 



Prisoners of the Great War 

ing, and there were five hundred to six hundred 
prisoners on each train. Berne was the first 
stop after leaving Germany, and the men were 
there fed and given fresh clothing. As the 
trains pulled into the station, the car windows 
were crowded with eager faces peering out to 
get their first glimpse of friends, countrymen, 
allies. The disembarkation took place under the 
supervision of Swiss officers, and the men lined 
up on the platform in military formation, but 
informally and at ease. 

The prisoners were then marched two hun- 
dred at a time into the restaurant, where the 
authorized relief society, French, Belgian, or 
English, had arranged for hot coffee and sand- 
wiches. Each prisoner was also given a few 
postal cards, and the eagerness with which 
these men seized the first opportunity to write 
home freely was indeed pathetic. Food was 
neglected and their attention was completely 
absorbed in sending the first word for months 

— maybe for years — that had not passed 
through the hands of the German camp censor 

— free to write, free to tell the truth — free 
mentally — free physically — the circle of the 



Returning Prisoners 

life of a soldier completed, the entire round 
made — enlistment, battle, capture, perhaps 
wounded, months or years in prison, intern- 
ment in Switzerland, or repatriation, back 
home, never to fight again, never to go within 
thirty kilometres of the zone of combat during 
the war. 

It was a lurid but picturesque business, at 
two o'clock in the morning, this questioning 
prisoners of war of all nationalities, just out of 
their prison camps — Frenchmen, Englishmen, 
Australians, Canadians, New Zealanders, Mo- 
roccans, Algerians, Indians — all colors and 
shades from all corners of the earth. 

I was provided with the proper badge, or 
brassard, and permitted by the Swiss guards to 
circulate among them freely and interview 
them. Some were shy and reserved; others per- 
haps a little affected mentally by their impris- 
onment and hardships; still others affected 
with barbed-wire disease, a well-recognized 
form of neurasthenia caused by confinement 
for long periods in barbed-wire enclosures. This 
disease became so prevalent and well defined 
that men were freed from German prison 

3 



Prisoners of the Great War 

camps as unfit for further military duty and 
interned in Switzerland because of it. 

I have talked with many men on their first 
night out of Germany after four years' impris- 
onment. A few cigarettes and some kind re- 
marks, confidence won, and the flood-gates of 
memory opened! First one, then another, told 
an experience, and as they found that I knew 
the camps, the prison rules, what a " working 
Kommando" meant, what a "reprisal camp" 
signified, and what a "colis" brought to a 
starving man — they gathered around eagerly. 
They knew that I understood their camp lan- 
guage and their troubles and they eagerly told 
everything. 

Some of the questions asked of them were: 
"Have you been receiving your food parcels 
regularly? Did you have cooking facilities at 
Rastatt, Lamsdorf, or Mannheim.? Were you 
given an opportunity to get fuel with which to 
cook? What were your facilities for sleeping? 
Your toilet facilities? Did your mail arrive 
regularly? How was the hospital? Were there 
any Americans in your camp? How many? 
What condition were they in? What do they 

4 



Returning Prisoners 

need ? How many sick or wounded in hospital ? 
Did they send out any messages or requests? 
Were you out on a working Kommando, and 
where? What treatment did you receive? Were 
you punished, and what was the form of pun- 
ishment? Have you been in the mines?" 

This last question brought out the heart- 
breaking experiences, especially from the 
French prisoners — "Have you been in the 
mines?" 

''Effroyable! Terrible! Cest le mortr 
Of all the prisoners with whom I talked, run- 
ning into hundreds, I never met one who had 
any but horrible recollections of his work in the 
mines, and especially the salt mines — very 
high temperature, crouching positions, abuse 
by the civil miners or bosses, blows, kicks, far 
underground where there was no escape, no 
hope but to bear it and try to live through it, 
no restraining influence of any kind against the 
civil miner except perhaps a brutal guard. A 
prisoner made a mistake, or his guard was ill- 
tempered, or the civil miner (who naturally 
did not like the prisoners in the mines) had a fit 
of temper — then the poor prisoner was struck, 

5 



Prisoners of the Great War 

knocked down or kicked, and if he threw up his 
hand to save himself and the motion was taken 
for one of resistance, God help him! When he 
went or was carried to the surface and regis- 
tered a complaint, he was told that it was a lie. 
If some humanitarian officer took enough in- 
terest to investigate, the civil miners or guards 
would testify that the man's bruises were due 
to an accident, and that ended it. Of all work 
to which the prisoners of war in Germany were 
driven, the mines were justly the most dreaded. 
The prisoner was defenseless against men who 
had him underground, where they could freely 
indulge in their brutality in all forms. 

Then there were the marshes, where men 
stood in water knee deep all day long. I have 
authentic reports of large groups of men work- 
ing in the open, who were not allowed to attend 
to the calls of nature for the entire day, on the 
pretext that a guard must be sent with each 
man and that the guards could not be spared. 

As a result of these interviews, with return- 
ing and escaped prisoners, and with other pris- 
oners interned in Switzerland, nearly complete 
information was obtained as to conditions and 

6 




AN EAST-INDIAN PRISONER 



Returning Prisoners 

treatment in German prison camps and on 
working Kommandos. As a further check we 
had frequent reports from the Spanish Em- 
bassy at Berlin, whose representative inspected 
at frequent intervals the camps occupied by 
our men, and submitted written statements of 
their condition, treatment, and needs. 

As this is being written, I have also just 
talked with the first contingent of American 
prisoners to come out of Germany since the 
signing of the armistice. 

That the reader may clearly understand the 
situation, it seems desirable to give the defini- 
tion of some of the special terms used in this 
book. 

Working Kommandos: These were the work- 
ing parties sent out from the main camps. 
There might be many such Kommandos tribu- 
tary to a camp, and they might consist of a 
number of men or only one man. Single men 
might be sent out to work on a farm, or in a 
small factory, while any number might be sent 
to various larger factories, or on large farms, or 
into coal, salt, or other mines, into stone quar- 
ries, or to work on the highways or railways. 

7 



Prisoners of the Great War 

The actual place where the work was per- 
formed was usually not stated by the German 
authorities, and the right of neutral representa- 
tives to visit and inspect these Kommandos 
depended entirely upon circumstances, the 
German military authorities taking the posi- 
tion that to freely give the right to investigate 
men on Kommandos might admit delegates to 
factories where trade secrets could be secured. 
The men on these Kommandos might be situ- 
ated many miles from the parent camp, and in 
many instances they lived under guard where 
they were employed. 

If the working Kommando consisted of sev- 
eral men, it was usually under the surveillance 
of a German non-commissioned officer called a 
"Feldwebel," who might, or might not, be the 
brutal type of man. There might be any num- 
ber of guards according to the size of the work- 
ing party. The greatest abuses of prisoners 
have occurred on these Kommandos. It was 
not unusual to have one prisoner assigned as 
assistant on a farm, in which case there was no 
guard. The prisoner, however, was usually 
placed in a section of the country where it was 

8 • 



Returning Prisoners 

very difEcult to escape. The treatment of the 
prisoner in these cases depended almost en- 
tirely upon the condition and disposition of the 
farmer to whom he was assigned. 

These working Kommandos were always offi- 
cially attached to a camp, and all mail and food 
parcels were sent to the main camp and for- 
warded from there to the places where the pris- 
oners were employed. It was not at all unusual 
to have 30,000, 40,000, or 50,000 prisoners at- 
tached to a given camp, while the report of the 
neutral delegate on visiting the camp revealed 
not more than 5000 or 6000 actually in the 
camp at the time of the visit, the others being 
out on working Kommandos. In September, 
19 1 7, there were approximately 600,000 prison- 
ers of war, whose address was given as Limburg 
Camp. An actual inspection of the camp re- 
vealed only 2400 men. In other words, 597,600 
prisoners attached to the camp were out work- 
ing, and many of them must have been in the 
zone of the armies. 

Camp Help Committees: These were com- 
mittees elected from among the prisoners them- 
selves and varying in size according to the num- 

9 



Prisoners of the Great War 

ber of prisoners of that nationality in the camp. 
The relief societies of the country of origin en- 
couraged these organizations. In the case of 
American prisoners, we organized a camp help 
committee wherever there was a sufficient num- 
ber of men. The province of these committees 
was to minister to the wants and welfare of their 
fellow countrymen in that particular camp, to 
receive reserve supplies of food and clothing, 
distribute them among the prisoners, and take 
care of newly arrived prisoners. In addition, the 
committees investigated and presented com- 
plaints as to treatment, and negotiated with 
the camp Kommandantur for improved condi- 
tions. One of their most important functions 
was the forwarding of food, clothing, and mail 
to other prisoners attached to their camp who 
might be out on working Kommandos. The 
prison authorities assigned storerooms to the 
camp help committees for the storage of reserve 
food and clothing supplies. These committees 
reported direct to the relief societies of their 
country of origin, requisitioning new supplies 
as needed, anticipating their requirements in so 
far as possible, to guard against any prospective 

lo 




AMERICAN CAMP HELP COMMITTEE AT BRANDENBURG 

Chief Gunner's Mate James Delaney, President of the Committee, in Chief Petty 
Officer's Uniform. This picture was taken in the Prison Camp 



Returning Prisoners 

need of their fellow prisoners, and estimating the 
needs for new arrivals. 

Colts: This was the common name for the 
packages of food and clothing which were sent 
to prisoners of war, and originated with the 
French. It is the French word for "package." 

Reprisal Camps: These were camps in which 
prisoners were placed in reprisal for some pre- 
sumed offense on the part of the enemy govern- 
ment. The prisoners who were sent to these 
camps were usually perfectly innocent of any 
offense, being selected at random and sub- 
jected to the most abominable conditions for 
real or supposed offenses with which they had 
no connection, and over which they had no 
control. It was a hideous form of abuse, well 
known to and sanctioned by the German mili- 
tary authorities. 

Kommandantur: The title of the representa- 
tive of the German Government in charge of a 
prison camp. He was almost invariably an offi- 
cer of high rank in the German Army, a major 
or colonel. Many of them were brutal and took 
no steps to prevent abuse of prisoners by under- 
officers. Some even encouraged abuse. The 

II 



Prisoners of the Great War 

Kommandantur was the supreme power in the 
camp, and it lay in his power to make camp 
conditions excellent or otherwise, and to safe- 
guard the physical condition and treatment of 
the prisoners. If the guilty are brought to jus- 
tice, some of these Kommandanturs would 
doubtless receive the same treatment accorded 
the commander of Andersonville Prison after 
our Civil War. He was tried for his brutality 
and hanged, a good precedent to follow with 
men who permitted brutality, starvation, and 
neglect of absolutely helpless men. 



Chapter II 

SUFFERING IN GERMAN CAMPS 

Never before in the history of mankind have 
such conditions existed with reference to pris- 
oners as in the great world war. 

From time immemorial it has been the cus- 
tom of the captor state to provide food and 
clothing for its prisoners of war. Germany, 
however, notoriously failed to even provide 
them with the necessities of life, and it is a fact 
beyond dispute that the ravages of disease, in- 
cluding tuberculosis, due to malnutrition, and 
even starvation, have killed tens of thousands 
of prisoners in the hands of the German mili- 
tary forces. Other thousands have been in- 
terned in Switzerland, or repatriated in their 
homes, human wrecks as the result of the fail- 
ure of the German Government to properly 
feed and clothe them. Neither treaty nor hu- 
manitarian consideration induced the German 
Government to treat its prisoners of war as hu- 
man beings, or make much effort to preserve 
their lives. 

13 



Prisoners of the Great War 

Prisoners told me of witnessing actual com- 
bats between starving men for a piece of bread 
or other morsel of food. The principal victims 
of this abuse were the Russians, Italians, and 
Roumanians, although in the early stages of 
the war the English and French also suffered 
somewhat for lack of food and clothing. 

Gradually the Allied Governments devised 
means for getting supplies to these needy pris- 
oners. English prisoners received their supplies 
from the Central Prisoners of War Committee 
at London, which had relief depots at Berne 
and Copenhagen. French prisoners were sup- 
plied by various relief bureaus in Switzerland 
and France. The French prisoner was com- 
pelled to pay for his food if he or his friends 
were able to do so, and he might order packages 
varying in cost from one franc to eleven francs. 
He might even have a bottle of wine includ- 
ed, and frequently did, with such delicacies as 
potted chicken and pates of various kinds, if 
he had the money to pay. These parcels were 
shipped principally by the Bureau de Secours 
aux Prisonniers de Guerre, Section Franco- 
Beige at Berne. If a French prisoner could not 

14 



SufFering in German Camps 

pay for his food and had no friends who would 
do it for him, he was known as one of the "Ne- 
cessiteaux" and referred to one of a number of 
reHef bureaus which sent him enough sustain- 
ing food to carry him along comfortably. 

When the American Government sent its 
troops to France in 191 7, the American Red 
Cross promptly realized the necessity for action 
and took immediate steps to see that no Ameri- 
can prisoner of war should suffer for lack of 
food or clothing. They communicated with 
Ellis Loring Dresel, who had been associated 
with Ambassador Gerard in the American Em- 
bassy at Berlin, and who was then in Switzer- 
land, and asked him to look after the prisoners 
pending definite arrangements. Owing to the 
visits that Mr. Dresel had made to the prison 
camps in Germany before the United States 
entered the war, he had a good working knowl- 
edge of the situation. He leased a storeroom at 
Bumpliz, a suburb of Berne, and the American 
Red Cross sent over Mr. W. W. Husband, 
formerly Secretary of the United States Immi- 
gration Commission in Washington, and Mr. 
Ralph E. Bailey, who had been Secretary of the 

15 



Prisoners of the Great War 

Groton School, to assist Mr. Dresel. These men 
took charge of supplies sent by the American 
Red Cross to provide for the immediate situa- 
tion. It was in November, 1917, that the first 
food parcel was shipped to the American mili- 
tary prisoners in Germany. 

In April, 191 8, 1 was requested by the Ameri- 
can Red Cross to go to Switzerland to take 
charge of this work and pave the way for a Red 
Cross Commission to Switzerland. I immedi- 
ately went to Washington to investigate, and 
found that the United States Government had 
constituted the American Red Cross its author- 
ized agent to locate and provide for Ameri- 
can prisoners, that large numbers of American 
troops were being sent abroad, and that it was 
imperative that immediate preparations be 
made on a large scale to provide for any proba- 
ble number of prisoners ; that quicker means of 
communication were required to find the pris- 
oners promptly in Germany, get food and 
clothing to them, and advise the United States 
Government and the families of the prisoners 
of their whereabouts and condition. I sailed for 
Switzerland four days later, accompanied by 

16 



Suffering in German Camps 

Mr. Athol McBean, of San Francisco, who was 
to take charge of warehouses, suppHes, and 
transportation. 

The American Red Cross Commission to 
Switzerland was duly authorized by the Swiss 
Government about two months after my arrival 
in Switzerland, and consisted of 

J. B. Dimmick, of Scranton, Pennsylvania. 

Dr. Alfred Worcester, of Waltham, Massa- 
chusetts. 

Ralph Stewart, Esq., of Brookline, Massa- 
chusetts. 

Athol McBean, of San Francisco, California. 

Carl P. Dennett, of Boston, Massachusetts. 

No attempt is made in this book to describe 
the whole work of the commission, but only so 
much as applies to prisoners of war. 

The work of the commission covered a broad 
field of activities other than the work for pris- 
oners of war, which was my particular depart- 
ment. There was also the Relief for Italian 
Prisoners and Serbian Prisoners, Civilian Re- 
lief, Refugee Relief, Belgian Children, Training 
Schools for Interned Prisoners, and other simi- 
lar activities which were divided among the 

17 



Prisoners of the Great War 

other members of the commission by depart- 
ments. 

The constructive work accomplished by my 
associates was of the greatest importance in 
their various departments, as was also their 
cooperation and help in my work. 

After the armistice Mr. Ralph Stewart took 
over the supervision of the important work of 
repatriation of prisoners, and it was due to his 
direction that the American prisoners were so 
promptly and comfortably returned to France. 

Dr. Alfred Worcester's efficient and self-sac- 
rificing work in Switzerland was of the highest 
importance, especially to the Italian prisoners, 
the French and Belgian prisoners, the civilian 
refugees, and the tubercular Serbian officers. 
Mr. McBean gave very valuable assistance in 
building up the system of warehouses and 
supplies. Mr. Dimmick, as Chairman of the 
Commission, and as a representative on the 
Prisoner of War Conference, aided materially 
with his constructive advice and counsel. 

On our arrival at Berne, Major Carl Taylor, 
of the American Red Cross at Paris, was tempo- 
rarily in charge. There were at this time 211 

18 



SufFering in German Camps 

American prisoners in Germany, of whom 113 
were civilians, ii naval, and 87 military. 

A thorough study of the situation developed 
that it was not only a question of food and 
clothing, but that the American prisoners In 
Germany required everything else necessary 
to sustain life as human beings. This meant 
such articles as soap, towels, needles, thread, 
buttons, pins, razors, hair-brushes, combs, scis- 
sors, tooth-brushes, shaving-soap, tooth-paste 
and powder — In fact, all food and clothing as 
well as every essential toilet article. 

At that time the German Government was 
giving the prisoners a very small quantity, two 
hundred grammes per day, of dark, soggy 
bread, coffee made of toasted acorns or chest- 
nuts, thin, watery soups, very few vegetables 
and practically no meat. This ration was en- 
tirely inadequate to sustain life, and prisoners 
of other nationalities who were not receiving 
food parcels were dying of starvation. Ameri- 
can, French, and English prisoners were unable 
to eat the food provided by the Germans. I 
cabled Washington for supplies sufficient to 
provide for 10,000 American prisoners for a 

19 



Prisoners of the Great War 

period of SIX months and then immediately 
started to create an organization sufficient to 
provide for any number of American prisoners 
Ukely to be captured. ^ 

In July, 191 8, 1 was informed that there were 
more than a milHon American soldiers in 
France, and that another million were coming 
over at once. Steps were immediately taken to 
provide for a total of 50,000 prisoners. Arrange- 
ments were made with General Rogers, the 
Chief Quartermaster of the A.E.F. in France, 
to furnish all the food and clothing necessary 
from his stocks there, the American Red Cross 
to furnish certain luxuries for the military pris- 
oners and everything required for the civilian 
prisoners. 

Some 200,000 packing-boxes for food were 
obtained, and an option taken on a still further 
supply. A second storehouse was rented at 
Bumpliz, and two more were built. A large 
storehouse was also rented in the suburbs of 
Lausanne, at Renens, and an addition built so 
that ten loaded freight cars could be run on the 
inside at one time for loading or unloading. An- 
other large storehouse was rented at Kehrsatz, 

20 



SufFering in German Camps 

another suburb of Berne, and was devoted to 
the storage of clothing, blankets, and miscel- 
laneous articles. Still another storehouse was 
arranged for at Copenhagen, to provide against 
any interruption to traffic or lack of railroad 
equipment in Switzerland. 



Chapter III 

FINDING THE PRISONERS 

The principal source of information as to 
American prisoners in Germany was through 
prison Hsts transmitted by the German Minis- 
ter of War to the Berlin Red Cross. These lists 
were then sent by the Berlin Red Cross to the 
International Red Cross at Geneva, and by the 
latter to the American Red Cross at Berne. 
This was a very roundabout method. The Ber- 
lin War Office was notoriously slow in supply- 
ing the information, and the prison lists were 
inaccurate, with names misspelled, and many 
missing. They frequently gave men as located 
at camps from which they had long since been 
removed. These official German prisoner lists 
were a disgraceful exhibition of German ineffi- 
ciency. 

The American Expeditionary Forces had no 
German prisoners on June i, 191 8, having 
turned them all over to the French military 
forces. This was a distinct disadvantage in ob- 

22 - 




IN FRONT OF U.S. MILITARY ATTACHE S OFFICE, BERNE 

NOVEMBER, 1918 

Left to right, front row: Major Carl P. Dennett, in charge of Department of 

Prisoners of War, American Red Cross; Colonel W. F. H. Godson, U.S. Military 

Attache; Major Ernest Schelling. In rear: Lieutenants De Waldt 

and Howe, office of Military Attache 



Finding the Prisoners 

taining information on a reciprocity basis. I 
went to General Headquarters of the A.E.F. in 
France, with Colonel W. F. H. Godson, the 
Military Attache at Berne, and called attention 
to the fact that it was proposed to have a con- 
ference between representatives of the German 
Government and the United States regarding 
prisoners of war; that the American forces had 
no German prisoners of war, and that it would 
also be a great advantage in getting informa- 
tion about American prisoners, if the German 
prisoners could be retained after capture in- 
stead of being turned over to the French forces 
as heretofore. 

Immediate action was taken on this sugges- 
tion, and within a few weeks the American 
military forces reported more than 2000 Ger- 
man prisoners, and within four months, more 
than 37,000 German prisoners, in their posses- 
sion. I then arranged with General Headquar- 
ters of the A.E.F. in France to supply to the 
American Red Cross at Berne exclusive lists of 
all German prisoners captured by the American 
Army. This placed us in a very strong position 
to demand reciprocity from the Germans for 

23 



Prisoners of the Great War 

all forms of information furnished regarding 
their prisoners. 

Arrangements were made with the Frankfort 
Red Cross in Germany to forward direct to the 
American Red Cross at Berne, the lists of 
American prisoners of war taken by the Ger- 
man military forces, giving full name, name of 
nearest relative or friend, date and place of 
birth, date and place of capture, whether 
wounded or not, and camp address; also to send 
by telegraph the names of all officers and avia- 
tors captured, and to answer all telegraphic in- 
quiries. This was all done under an agreement 
for reciprocity on our part. But after all, it 
seemed that the quickest, surest, and safest 
method to find a prisoner was to have him re- 
port himself, if possible. Accordingly I had 
postal cards printed and forwarded to all the 
prison camps in Germany on which the prisoner 
could report himself and supply all information 
required. 

In all the prison camps in Germany, where 
there was a sufficient number of American pris- 
oners, we organized camp help committees, and 
instructed them to report without delay all new 



Finding the Prisoners 

arrivals of American prisoners in their camp to 
the American Red Cross at Berne; also to see 
that each newly arrived prisoner sent the card 
giving the full information requested. This in- 
formation arrived very much quicker than the 
official prison lists and reduced the time required 
to locate prisoners in Germany by at least fifty 
per cent, and each system checked the other. 

Promptly upon receipt of these cards at our 
Berne offices, the prisoners were catalogued, 
and all available information regarding them 
indexed and cross-indexed. The lists of names 
and addresses were sent to the storehouse, 
where prisoners were classified by camps and 
alphabetically, and names placed on the ship- 
ping directions to have individual packages of 
food sent weekly. Simultaneously a cablegram 
was despatched to Washington, giving the full 
name of the prisoner, the name of his nearest 
friend or relative, his camp address, and any 
other available information as to his being 
wounded or otherwise. The American Red 
Cross at Washington immediately notified the 
families in America. A cablegram was also de- 
spatched to General Headquarters of the A.E.F. 

25 



Prisoners of the Great War 

in France so that they could clear their records 
of missing men. Advices were also sent to the 
American Red Cross at Paris, that they too 
might clear their records and stop searching for 
these men in the hospitals in France. 

By means of lists General Headquarters in 
France regularly notified us of all missing men. 
These names were placed on cards in a card in- 
dex system in the Berne offices, and as soon as 
the men were located in Germany, their name 
cards were removed from the card index of 
missing men, full information was entered upon 
them, and they were filed alphabetically under 
the list of prisoners. The cards were also filed 
under the heading of the prison camps, and by 
classification as to company and regiment. In 
this way, we had at all times a complete index 
of all members of the American Expeditionary 
Forces who were missing, as well as of all pris- 
oners in Germany. We were always in a posi- 
tion to answer any inquiries about any man 
who was missing or a prisoner, and, if a prisoner, 
could supply full information regarding him. 

The work was organized into the following 
departments : 

26 ' 



Finding the Prisoners 

Bureau of Information, which obtained and 
tabulated all information regarding missing 
men or prisoners, and answered all inquiries 
from the families in America. 

Mr. Ralph Bailey, of Taunton, Massachu- 
setts, was at the head of this bureau. 

Bureau of Reliefs which handled all communi- 
cations in connection with supplies required by 
the camp help committees or by individual 
prisoners in Germany, saw that these requests 
were promptly filled, that the food packages 
and other relief supplies were regularly sent, 
and that they were properly receipted for by 
the prisoners. 

Mr. Athol McBean, of San Francisco, took 
charge of this work. 

Bureau of Supplies, which attended to the 
transportation and storage of all supplies in the 
various storehouses in Switzerland, and to the 
packing and shipping of the goods in accord- 
ance with information supplied by the Bureau 
of Relief. 

Mr. McBean also looked after this depart- 
ment, assisted by Mr. Leon G. Levy, of San 
Francisco. 



Chapter IV 

FOOD AND CLOTHING 

The storehouse at Bumpliz was devoted to 
putting up individual parcels for prisoners and 
taking care of special orders. Each prisoner re- 
ceived an individual parcel of food addressed to 
him personally, and every prisoner, officer and 
private, received exactly the same food. 

The first package delivered by the Camp Help 
Committee to every prisoner included both 
food and clothing and was made up as follows: 



I lb. corned beef 
I lb. roast beef 

1 lb. salmon 

2 lbs. hash 
I lb. jam 

I bar soap 

4 5c. pkgs. tobacco 

I overshirt 

1 undershirt 

2 cans pork and 
beans 

I can tomatoes 
I can corn 
I can peas 



1 pr. drawers 

2 prs. socks 

3 handkerchiefs 
2 towels 

1 tube tooth-paste 

2 lbs. hard bread 
I pt. evap. milk 
I lb. sugar 

1/2 lb. coffee 
I tooth-brush 
I comb 
I housewife 
I shaving-soap 
I shaving-brush 



28 




CONTENTS OF FIRST PARCEL SENT TO PRISONERS 



Food and Clothing 

Thereafter regular food parcels were sent 
every week, the contents of the package mak- 
ing up the monthly ration for each prisoner 
being: 



ARMY K — I St Week 

I lb. corned beef 
I lb. salt pork 

1 lb. salmon 

2 lbs. corned beef hash 
I can pork and beans 

I lb. dried beans 

1 lb. tomatoes 

2 cans corn 
2 cans peas 

4 lbs. hard bread 
I lb. butter 
I lb. sugar 
I lb. prunes 
I bar soap 



ARMY B— 3d Week 

I lb. corned beef 
I lb. roast beef 

1 lb. salmon 

2 lbs. corned beef hash 
I can pork and beans 

I lb. tomatoes 

1 can corn 

2 cans peas 

4 lbs. hard bread 

4 lbs. rice 

I pt. evap. milk 

I lb. sugar 

I lb. coffee 

I lb. raisins or figs 



8o cigarettes or tobacco 8o cigarettes or tobacco 



ARMY C— 2d Week 

I lb. corned beef 
I lb. roast beef 

1 lb. salt pork 

2 lbs. corned beef hash 
I can pork and beans 



ARMY T>— 4th Week 

I lb. corned beef 
I lb. roast beef 

1 lb. salmon 

2 lbs. corned beef hash 
I can pork and beans 



29 



Prisoners of the Great War 

ARMY C~2d Week ARMY T>—4th Week 
{continued^ {continued^ 

I lb. dried beans i lb. tomatoes 

1 lb. tomatoes i can corn 

2 lbs. corn 2 cans beans 

2 lbs. peas 4 lbs. hard bread 

4 lbs. hard bread i pt. evap. milk 

I lb. sugar i lb. sugar 

1/2 lb. cocoa I lb. coffee 

I lb. prunes i lb. jam 

I pt. vinegar 1/2 lb. salt 

80 cigarettes or tobacco i lb. chocolate or candy 

80 cigarettes or tobacco 

In each package there was included a receipt 
in postal card form, which was signed by the 
prisoner in his own handwriting, and on which 
he stated exactly what he received and what 
was missing, if anything. Many of these cards 
were returned to America to be sent to the 
prisoner's family. Each shipment was checked 
against the receipt cards received back, and in 
this way we always had a record of shortages 
and knew how much each prisoner was actually 
receiving. 

The same emergency first parcels of food and 
clothing were also sent to all naval and civilian 

30 



Food and Clothing 

prisoners, as well as the same subsequent food 
parcels each week thereafter. It was, of course, 
impossible to forward clothing, shoes, and hats, 
until the sizes were known. To take care of this 
situation there was included in each original 
food parcel, as well as left in the hands of camp 
committees, a card with blank spaces for sizes 
of clothing, hats, shoes, gloves, etc., which the 
prisoner filled out and on which he gave the 
sizes in detail. 

As the war went on, the prisoners were 
robbed more and more of their clothing, while 
they were in the zone of the armies, and it 
became necessary to get packages to them 
promptly, so that upon their arrival in the 
prison camps, they could at once be provided 
with uniform trousers, coats, hats, shoes, or 
overcoats. To meet this condition, we placed in 
the hands of American help committees in all 
camps where there was a sufficient number of 
American prisoners to organize such commit- 
tees, or in the hands of the British or French 
help committees in camps where there were 
only a few Americans, a reserve supply of cloth- 
ing of assorted sizes, so that when the prisoner 

31 



Food and Clothing 

short of food at that time, to loot the individual 
packages sent to the prisoners. At first such 
articles as soap and grease (butter or bacon) 
would be stolen, and the rest of the package 
left intact, but in September and October, 
191 8, food conditions became so bad in Ger- 
many that the packages would frequently be 
looted of sugar, coffee, canned meats, or canned 
vegetables. In some cases the packages would 
arrive with only the bread in them. In such in- 
stances the camp committee would immedi- 
ately deliver to the prisoner whose package had 
been robbed, sufficient supplies from the re- 
serve stores to make up his weekly ration. This 
overcame any actual suffering for lack of food 
by the American prisoners, and was a safe- 
guard against the individual stealing from the 
parcels while in transit. 

Connected with the camps were the various 
working Kommandos, and while men were 
officially designated as at a certain camp, they 
might in reality be several miles from the camp, 
working in a factory or on the railroads or high- 
ways. The addresses of these working Kom- 
mandos were never given out by the German 

33 



Prisoners of the Great War 

authorities,"and the food and clothing had to 
be sent to the parent camp and forwarded from 
there, at first by the German authorities and 
afterwards by our help committees. When the 
food and clothing parcels arrived at the camp, 
they were opened and examined by the camp 
authorities. They were then repacked and 
shipped to the men on the various working 
Kommandos, where they were again opened by 
the ofScers in charge of the Kommandos. This 
gave additional opportunities for stealing, and 
was a system against which I protested, insist- 
ing that food parcels should be examined only 
once, and then in the presence of the prisoner 
to whom it was sent. This was finally agreed to 
by the German authorities and is incorporated 
in the Prisoner of War Agreement between the 
United States and the German Government. 



Chapter V 

WHEN A PRISONER IS CAPTURED 
In order to clearly understand some of the 
difficulties with which we had to contend it is 
necessary to know the general method of han- 
dling prisoners of war when captured by the 
German military forces. 

They were first assembled into groups and 
searched for papers or maps and individually 
questioned by the German military intelligence 
officers in an effort to obtain from them infor- 
mation of military value. All sorts of methods 
were used to force such information from the 
prisoners, intimidation and, I am creditably 
informed, in some cases actual physical vio- 
lence and even killing. Such methods, for in- 
stance, as holding a loaded pistol to a man's 
head, or a bayonet against his chest, with a 
threat of death if he did not give the informa- 
tion desired. 

The German authorities were very quick to 
resent the slightest rumor of force on the part 
of the Allies to secure military information, and . 

35 



Prisoners of the Great War 

It IS my conviction that no inhuman methods 
I I I n were ever used to obtain such information from 
/ , , ^ prisoners taken by the Allies. 
j^^^^,^^^,^^^; The military information to be obtained from 
"f^ prisoners was regarded as so important that 
night raids were constantly made for the sole 
purpose of securing prisoners for the military 
information they might supply. The ordinary 
markings on the uniforms of prisoners taken 
in night raids might supply information as to 
company and regiment. Frequently a prisoner 
might reveal in some manner the division of 
which his regiment was a part; or the enemy 
might have previously obtained the informa- 
tion that a certain company or regiment con- 
stituted part of a certain division. By piecing 
this information together, in which the Ger- 
mans were very expert, they could determine 
just what forces were confronting that particu- 
lar section of the line. 

The Germans attached great value to the 
importance of prisoners as a means of obtaining 
military Information and spared no pains, trick- 
ery, threats, or expense to make the prisoners 
talk. They mixed with our prisoners spies who 

36' 




OUTFIT FOR MILITARY PRISONERS 



when a Prisoner is Captured 

wore American uniforms and spoke perfect 
English to listen to their conversation and If 
possible win their confidence. They installed 
dictaphones and even had spies living In the 
camps among the prisoners for this purpose. 
We have had men reported as prisoners in 
German camps who were actually with their 
companies, the German spies obtaining their 
names and living in the camps as American 
prisoners. 

After the military examination was com- 
pleted, a record was made of the men, their 
names, addresses, nearest friend or relative, 
company and regiment, date and place of 
birth, and date and place of capture. The pris- 
oners were then frequently placed at work be- 
hind the enemy's lines and often under fire of 
their own guns. This labor consisted usually of 
such work as digging trenches, building roads, 
barbed-wire entanglements, work on railroads, 
etc., and was contrary to all existing agree- 
ments. 

The prisoner's stay behind the lines de- 
pended upon the amount of work the Germans 
wished done. During this period the prisoner 

37 



Prisoners of the Great War 

was on the list of missing and was behind an 
impenetrable screen where it was impossible to 
get in contact with him or obtain any informa- 
tion regarding him. This was the period of his 
greatest deprivation and suffering. 

The prisoner was usually taken in battle and 
had only the clothes on his back, which were 
frequently muddy, bloody, and torn. If he was 
required to remain in these clothes without 
change of underwear for several weeks, and 
with no soap or towels, he inevitably suffered. 
The result was that he frequently reached 
quarantine camps in bad condition. He was 
detained in quarantine for approximately ten 
days. His clothing was disinfected and he was 
then sent to the prison camp in Germany 
which was assigned to the army corps by which 
he was taken prisoner. 

Every army corps had its own prison camp 
and it was the plan to confine there the prison- 
ers taken by that particular corps. Frequently 
the headquarters of the army corps would be 
located some distance from the prison camp. 
As an illustration of how this method worked, 
prisoners taken by the 17th Army Corps, whose 

38 



when a Prisoner is Captured 

headquarters were at Danzig, were sent to 
Tuchel Prison in Prussia. 

In the process of reaching these various 
camps, the men would frequently pass through 
a number of other camps. In fact, we had many 
prisoners who had passed through five or more 
camps before reaching the permanent camp. 
The transfer of these prisoners from one camp 
to another was sometimes fast and sometimes 
slow, and caused great difficulty in getting food 
parcels to the men. We had no means of know- 
ing the army corps by which any prisoner had 
been captured, or to what permanent camp he 
would be sent. 

In the early stages of the war it was fre- 
quently the case that a prisoner would be sent 
to a camp where we never had any prisoners 
before, and in some cases where there were only 
Russians or Roumanians. This resulted in a 
painful delay in getting the food parcels to the 
prisoners. The parcels would be sent to the 
first camp to which the prisoner had been as- 
signed, and it might happen that before the 
package reached that camp the prisoner had 
been sent to another camp, and in this way the 

39 



Prisoners of the Great War 

food parcel might follow him for a period of 
four or five weeks before finally reaching him. 
It was quite impossible to overcome these con- 
ditions in the early stages of the war as there 
were nineteen different army corps in Ger- 
many to each of which one or more prison 
camps were assigned, and a prisoner might be 
any number of weeks in reaching his perma- 
nent camp. 

All of these diflSculties had to be overcome by 
constant effort. Continual pressure was brought 
upon the German authorities through the 
Spanish Embassy at Berlin for a concentration 
of American prisoners. A special issue was 
made of having the American prisoners trans- 
ferred from Tuchel Prison in Prussia to a point 
nearer Switzerland, as it was exceedingly diffi- 
cult to get food supplies through and maintain 
satisfactory communication with the prison 
camps in Prussia. These efforts were finally 
successful, and a concentration of American 
prisoners was obtained in the camp of Ras- 
tatt on the banks of the Rhine, very con- 
venient to Switzerland, where it was possible 
to organize a satisfactory camp committee, 

40 



When a Prisoner is Captured 

maintain large reserves of food and clothing, 
and handle the entire situation in a satisfac- 
tory manner. 

On November 15, 191 8, there were actually 
2353 American prisoners in the camp at Ras- 
tatt, out of a total of 3602 in all camps in Ger- 
many. This was four days after the signing of 
the armistice, and was about two thirds of the 
American prisoners. As a further result of con- 
stant efforts, I obtained a concentration of the 
American army officers at the prison camps at 
Villingen, Karlsruhe, and Landshut, at which 
camps on November 15, 191 8, there were 221 
American officers out of a total of 290. 

The civilian prisoners were concentrated for 
the most part at the four prison camps of Giis- 
trow, Holzminden, Brandenburg, and Parchim, 
where there were 114 prisoners out of a total of 
144, all civilians. 

Of the naval prisoners, of which there was a 
total of ten sailors, eight were at Brandenburg 
and one each at Rastatt and Villingen. There 
were two naval officers, one at Stralsund and 
one at Villingen. The naval officer at Stralsund 
was in the company of four American army 

41 



Prisoners of the Great War 

ofEcers, while the one at Villingen was with 
170 American army officers. 

On pages 43 and 44 is a complete state- 
ment of all American prisoners who were in 
the hands of the German military authorities, 
officially reported as of November 15, 1918, 
four days after the signing of the armistice. 

It was the practice to send food and clothing 
parcels to every American prisoner, whether or 
not he was actually fighting with the American 
forces. It frequently happened that an Ameri- 
can might be enlisted with the French or Brit- 
ish forces, having enlisted before America en- 
tered the war. While it was understood that 
each country would feed the soldier prisoners 
who were enlisted with its armies, if an Ameri- 
can were taken prisoner we fed and clothed him 
from our storehouses in Switzerland until actu- 
ally assured in writing that he was being pro- 
vided for by the country with whose troops he 
was enlisted at the time of capture. There was 
also a large number of Americans attached to, 
but not enlisted with, the French and British 
forces. These men were treated in exactly the 
same manner as if fighting with the American 

42 



When a Prisoner is Captured 



AMERICAN RED 
CROSS, BERNE 



PRISONER REPORT 
NO. 7 DATE II, 15, 18 



TOTAL NUMBER 
PRISONERS 3602 



Camp 





Army 
N.C.O.'s 

AND 

Privates 


If 






to 
"a 

< 




Now 
reported 


Now 
reported 


Now 
reported 


Now 
reported 


Now 
reported 


Altdamm 


I 
2 

I 

3 

2 
4 

2 
26 

3 

25 
3 

4 
3 

I 

5 




•• 


*8 




Alten-Grabow 










•• 


Berlin 


•• 




3 


Cassel 


39 


Czersk 






•• 




•• 




•• 


Erfurt 


•* 




•• 


Friedrichsfeld 






•• 


Germersheim 


•• 


Giessen 

Gottingen 


.. 


Graudenz 


•* 




46 


Hammelburg 


Havelberg 




Heuberg • 


3 




•• 




»4 


Karlsruhe 


•• 




3 


Koln 

Konigsbriick 

Kreuznach 






•• 




•• 


Landshut 


•• 






Lechf eld 






•• 


Luxemburg 


•• 




•• 


Mannheim 




Mersebur"' 


•• 


Meschede". 




Metz 






•• 


Miinster 


•* 











43 



Prisoners of the Great War 



AMERICAN RED 
CROSS, BERNE 



PRISONER REPORT 
NO. 7 DATE 11,15, 18 



TOTAL NUMBER 
PRISONERS 3602 



Camp 



Oberhofen 

Ohrdruf 

Parchim 

Rastatt 

Saarbrucken 

Schweidnitz 

Skalmierschutz 

Sprottau 

Stargard 

Stendal 

Stralkowo 

Stralsund 

Strassburg 

Stuttgart 

Tauberbischof sheim 

Trier.... 

Tuchel 

Villingen 

Waldesheim 

Weingarten 

Worms 

Wurzburg 

Zerbst 

Zmckau 

War hospital 670, German field- 
postofSce 404 



Total . 



Now 
reported 



H 
<■ X 



Now 
reported 






2348 




14 




.. 




10 




35 


2 


3 


4 


.. 


. 


2 




35 




4 



3156 



o 



Now 
reported 



Now 
reported 



Now 
reported 



144 



United States Army 3446 

United States Navy 12 

Civilian 144 

Grand total 3602 



44 



when a Prisoner is Captured 

forces, and were all provided for during the 
term of their Imprisonment from the American 
Red Cross supplies at Berne. 

While the English and French had excellent 
bureaus for the feeding and care of their prison- 
ers of war, the work was not centralized as in 
the case of the American prisoners. The relief 
work of the French was divided among a large 
number of different societies, each of which was 
responsible for a certain number of prisoners. 
They required all prisoners to pay for their 
food parcels, as previously mentioned. The 
English supplied only bread from their bureaus 
in Switzerland, the other food parcels being sent 
from England or Copenhagen. 

The Italian Government had no organized 
relief for its prisoners of war. While to my 
knowledge there was no official statement to 
that effect, it was the general attitude of the 
Italian Government that the Italian prisoners 
taken at the first battle of the Piave were de- 
serters, which was probably mainly true. No 
effort was made on the part of the Italian Gov- 
ernment to provide them with food and cloth- 
ing, and as a result these prisoners suffered 

45 



Prisoners of the Great War 

great hardships in both Austria and Germany. 
In Austria a great many died of starvation. 

Mr. Ralph Stewart of the Red Cross Com- 
mission at Berne made a special trip to Italy 
in the interest of the Italian prisoners and suc- 
ceeded in getting the Italian Government to 
agree to an arrangement for the reUef of the Ital- 
ian prisoners. The armistice was signed, how- 
ever, before the arrangement became operative. 

Thousands of repatriated Italian prisoners 
passed through Switzerland by way of Buchs, 
at which point the American Red Cross main- 
tained a canteen service under the supervision 
of Dr. Alfred Worcester for the purpose of sup- 
plying them with necessary food and clothing 
on their arrival at the Swiss border. They were 
mostly in a deplorable condition. It was not un- 
usual to have several dead on each train. The 
pulse of the men was low, indicating starvation. 
It was not high, as is the case in tuberculosis, 
and many of the men who were repatriated as 
tubercular were actually dying of starvation 
and promptly recovered when given nourishing 
food. I have photographs of Italian prisoners in 
the Austrian and German prison camps show- 

46 




LIVING AND DEAD ITALIAN SOLDIERS IN THE PRISON CAMP 
OF SIGMUNDSHERBERG, AUSTRIA 

This shows clearly the horrible condition to which they were reduced by starvation. 

These pictures were taken secretly with a very small camera in the Prison 

Camp and smuggled into Switzerland by returning prisoners 



when a Prisoner is Captured 

ing men dead of starvation, and others on the 
verge of death. 

The testimony of the returning prisoners 
showed that the condition of the Italians in the 
German prison camps was deplorable. The Al- 
lied prisoners did all they could to afford them 
relief in the German camps, sharing their food 
parcels with them. In Austria, however, there 
were few Allied prisoners other than Italians 
and Serbians. The food conditions there were 
bad and thousands of Italian prisoners in the 
Austrian camps died, or contracted incurable 
tuberculosis and other diseases as a result of 
starvation. 

Serbian prisoners were sent ample supplies of 
food and clothing by the Bureau de Secours aux 
Prisonniers de Guerre, Section Serbe, at Berne. 
The Serbian Government obtained a loan of 
$1,000,000 each three months from the United 
States Government to pay for the supplies which 
were purchased and shipped to Switzerland from 
the United States by the American Red Cross. 
From Switzerland, the supplies were shipped 
to the various prison camps in Austria. Serbia 
also provided for the Montenegrin prisoners. 



Chapter VI 

LIVING CONDITIONS 

The German prison camps consisted of en- 
closures surrounded by a barbed-wire fence 
about ten feet high; in some camps a single 
fence, in others an extra fence about fifty to 
seventy-five feet outside the first fence. To be 
caught in the space between the two fences 
meant death. The enclosure was frequently 
subdivided into compounds. 

The hutments, or barracks, were usually 
built of wood, one story high, and might be of 
any length. Beds usually consisted of bunks and 
might be in one or two tiers, with mattresses 
filled with wood shavings, paper, and sometimes 
straw, excellent nests for all kinds of vermin 
which existed in greater or less degree in all 
camps. Insect powder was in constant demand 
to overcome this annoyance. There were usu- 
ally two blankets provided for each prisoner. 

Cooking facilities varied greatly in different 
camps. In some there were fairly well-equipped 
kitchens; in others each prisoner did his own 

48 ' 



Living Conditions 

cooking on rough portable stoves. In some 
camps great difficulty was experienced in get- 
ting any fuel with which to cook, and in a great 
many there was constant complaint about the 
totally inadequate cooking facilities and lack of 
fuel. Heating was by means of stoves and light- 
ing usually by electricity. 

There was a canteen attached to each camp 
where various things could be purchased, such 
as mineral water and very poor cigarettes at 
very high prices. When the prisoner arrived his 
money was taken from him and camp money 
current only in that camp issued in its place. 
It was not unusual, however, for a prisoner to 
be robbed of all his money and other personal 
effects before reaching his permanent camp. 

Prisoners were allowed to receive any num- 
ber of letters or packages, but were allowed to 
send only two letters of two pages each and four 
postal cards per month. Some of the prisoners 
in order to circumvent the limit on correspond- 
ence hit on the excellent idea of writing one 
letter to the American Red Cross Commission 
at Berne containing eight or ten short messages 
to as many people. We would rewrite these 

49 



Living Conditions 

"It's a Long Way to Berlin — but We'll Get 

There" 
"We'll Knock the Heligo into Helligo out of 

Heligoland " 

Of course this music would never be per- 
mitted to reach the prisoner to whom it was 
addressed, and, if sent, the prisoner might even 
be punished. It seemed too bad to lose the mu- 
sic, however, so we decided to cut the titles off 
the top and send it along. Our boys will have 
great fun when they find out the names of the 
tunes with which they have been serenading 
their German jailors. 

The talent represented among the prisoners 
was varied and excellent. There were stars of 
the variety stage, actors of serious drama, 
comedians, dancers, and musicians. Theatres 
were arranged in many of the camps, make-up 
outfits and costumes were sent in, and the pris- 
oners gave theatrical performances, concerts, 
and entertainments of various kinds. 

In Switzerland there was a symphony orches- 
tra of fifty pieces assembled entirely from the 
interned French prisoners. These men were 
accomplished musicians and played the best 

51 



Prisoners of the Great War 

music in a finished manner. Ernest SchelHng, 
the famous American pianist, was much inter- 
ested in this organization, assisted them to get 
music, and was arranging a tour of Switzerland 
for them at the time the armistice was signed. 
At the request of the prisoners in this orches- 
tra members whose turn for repatriation came 
were permitted to remain in Switzerland by 
special arrangement of the French Govern- 
ment. This was constructive action on the part 
of the authorities, as one of the great problems 
confronting France is the reeducation of its re- 
turning prisoners in useful occupations. 

Athletic games were permitted in the camps 
to a considerable extent. Most camps were pro- 
vided with space for hand-ball and football, 
and the Americans of course introduced base- 
ball. The equipment — balls, bats, gloves, 
masks — was sent to the American prisoners 
by the Y.M.C.A. By special agreement be- 
tween the Y.M.C.A. and the Red Cross, it was 
arranged that the Y.M.C.A. should furnish all 
books, games, and athletic paraphernalia for 
the prisoners. 

Mr. Conrad Hoffmann, a Y.M.C.A. delegate, 
52 



Living Conditions 

found out what they needed for recreation, 
amusements, and educational activities and the 
supplies were shipped from Berne and Copen- 
hagen into the camps. Educational classes were 
conducted in many camps and prisoners had 
an opportunity to study, especially languages. 
There were teachers, professors, and intellec- 
tuals in the camps, and prisoners really desirous 
of improving their time had an opportunity to 
do so. We received numerous requests for edu- 
cational and scientific books and in most camps 
there were very good libraries. ^ 

In the prison camp of Rastatt American 
prisoners started a newspaper known as the 
"Barbed Wireless," a delicious bit of satire on 
the conditions under which they lived. . 

The officers were quartered in many in- 
stances in hotels, schools, barracks, and cha- 
teaux taken over for the purpose. They were 
allowed cooks and orderlies to look after their 
comfort and were permitted in most camps 
to take walks outside the prison upon giving 
their word not to attempt to escape. 

The conditions described above were general 
and there were many exceptions as to living 

53 



Prisoners of the Great War 

accommodations and privileges. These were 
largely affected by the commandant of the 
camp, who could usually make conditions good 
or bad at will. Our inspection reports from the 
neutral delegates and many interviews with re- 
turning prisoners enabled us to keep a pretty 
accurate knowledge of the conditions in camps 
where Americans were located. 

If we were suspicious of a camp we at once 
arranged for a special visit by a neutral repre- 
sentative. As an illustration, one day two es- 
caped prisoners from Villingen arrived at Berne. 
They told us that at the time of their attempt 
to escape ten other Americans also tried to get 
away. A large number of shots were fired and it 
was possible and even probable that some had 
been wounded or killed. It was also possible 
that others might receive abuse or unreasona- 
ble terms of imprisonment for the attempt. We 
at once arranged a visit by a neutral delegate, 
and found that none of the men had been 
killed, wounded, or unduly punished. 

In order that the reader may understand the 
nature of these reports, I am reproducing in 
the following chapter copies of a few typical 

54 




AMERICAN PRISONERS BAND AT RASTATT PRISON 







AMERICAN PRISONERS AT RASTATT PRISON RECEIVING 
THEIR RED CROSS PARCELS 



Living Conditions 

reports, and extracts from others, as received 
by the commission at Berne. These reports con- 
tained much useful information and it will be 
noted that the delegate did not fail to listen to 
and report the complaints of the prisoners, ad- 
justing the matters directly on the spot with 
the German camp authorities when possible, 
and reporting all complaints to us at Berne 
with the action taken. 

These reports also present an excellent pic- 
ture of camp conditions — sanitary arrange- 
ments, religious exercises, and amusements. 
The report of Tuchel Prison gives the entire 
menu for one week, as provided by the German 
Government. 



Chapter VII 

REPORTS BY NEUTRAL DELEGATES 

(Translations) 

information concerning the camp of prisoners 

of war at tuchel belonging to the 

xviith army corps 

(Visited without previous notice by the Inspector, on the 
13th of April, 1 91 8) 

Commander of the Camp: a major-general. 
This camp was visited in the beginning of the 
present year by delegates of the . 

Description: The camp is composed of two 
completely separate parts, called Camp No. i 
and Camp No. 2, but of these two only the 
larger one is at present occupied, the other be- 
ing completely empty. In both of them the con- 
struction of the barracks is completely subter- 
ranean, only the roof being open to the sky and 
some of the walls, which are protected by a 
layer of sand. The delegate thought that this 
peculiar construction of the barracks would 
make them damp, especially in winter, but the 
authorities of the camp say that this is not the 
case, as the sandy nature of the ground makes 

S6 



Reports by Neutral Delegates 

them more dry, and for this reason, in winter 
the barracks are much more protected and 
warmer. 

Population: The total population of the 
camp on the day on which we visited it, was 
61,840 prisoners of war, of whom only 28,402 
live in the camp, the 33,438 remaining prisoners 
being partitioned for work in the camps where 
they live. 

The nationality and grades of those 28,402 
who live in the camp are as follows : 

American military prisoners 33 

American civilian prisoners I 

Russian military prisoners 27,944 

Russian civilian prisoners 16 

Roumanian military prisoners . . 366 

English civilian prisoners 41 

Italian civilian prisoners i 

Total 28,402 

As far as concerns the 33,438 prisoners of 
war who live in the different outposts of work, 
their nationalities and grades are as follows : 

Military Belgians 3 

Military Russians 30,060 

Military Roumanians 35375 

Total prisoners of war 33)438 

57 



Prisoners of the Great War 

Lodging: As far as possible, the prisoners are 
lodged in barracks, according to nationality, 
the Americans having one barrack for them- 
selves. These barracks are of the general form 
above mentioned, and in the interior are ar- 
ranged the beds of the prisoners, in two tiers 
one over the other, one little tablet marking 
the space which corresponds for each prisoner. 
Each one of these consists of a sheet and a mat- 
tress full of wood-shavings, and two blankets. 

The illumination in the barracks is electric 
and during the day they receive the light as 
well as ventilation by means of skylights situ- 
ated in the roofs. 

Heating is obtained by large brick stoves 
placed in the middle of the barrack. 

The chief of the barrack sleeps in a small 
separate room, in which, in addition, two other 
prisoners sleep. 

Hygienic services: Water did not seem to be 
either abundant or good. Judging from what 
the prisoners say and from what others, such as 
the Americans, request, as will be seen below. 
Mineral waters are sold in the canteen. 

Washing of clothes in general is done by sev- 
58 




OUTFIT FOR ALL CIVILIAN PRISONERS 



Reports by Neutral Delegates 

eral of the prisoners, who have for this purpose 
laundries in the camp. 

The privies are of the water-closet type, the 
cleaning of which is done by the prisoners 
themselves. 

The number of showers and baths is consid- 
erable, and occupy a large barrack situated in 
the middle of the camp. The number of baths 
which the prisoners are accustomed to take is 
one every ten days, but now the Americans 
complain that a month has passed without 
their having a bath, and without knowing 
when they can take it. The authorities of the 
camp assert that this is due to the fact of the 
arrival of Russian prisoners of war taken in 
Russia a few months ago, which necessitates 
the occupation of the whole set of baths in 
order to disinfect them, but as soon as that is 
accomplished, the baths will be utilized as has 
been customary hitherto. 

Sanitary services: The sick are visited dailjr^ 
by the doctors attached to the camp. There are 
five German and about fifty Russian doctors. 
The light cases are kept in the infirmary of the 
camp, but those more seriously ill are kept 

59 



Prisoners of the Great War 

in the hospital (of same eamp). The general 
health of the camp appears to be good, al- 
though the total sickness had somewhat in- 
creased, 2440 in all, of which 2355 were Rus- 
sians and 85 Roumanians. The diseases were of 
the usual nature. The dentist is established in 
the same hospital. 

Diet: The food is prepared in the camp by the 
prisoners themselves. The list of meals with the 
quantity of food of each is written up on a 
blackboard in the kitchen, and in addition is 
written on the menu each day. The prisoners 
complain that the food is scant and meagre, d/^i*^ 
the Americans stating that the basis of their Am^^ 
nourishment comes from the packages which '%^fe^ 
they receive. The general appearance of the 
prisoners is good, but that of the Americans 
seems rather better. These say that the meals 
do not please them because they are tasteless, 
or not made according to their tastes. 

The quantity of bread is 285 grs. per diem 
and per prisoner, the bread being of the usual 
quality amongst the population. 

The evening meal was tasted by the delegate 
on the day of his visit. It consisted of fish, 

60 



Reports by Neutral Delegates 

soup, potatoes, and some grease, and was found 
to be of good savor, but of very little strength. 
The midday meal had consisted of a soup of 
beef, potatoes, beans, and other vegetables. 

For more clearness, there is at the end of this 
report, copy of a list of the meals served during 
the week of this visit (which is the same dur- 
ing the whole month) with the quantity of each 
dish corresponding to each prisoner, as it was 
inscribed on the board in the kitchen. 

Packages: The Americans complain that the 
packages which reach them from Switzerland 
are usually delayed some twenty-one days, and 
that the few which up to the present they have 
received from America are delayed between 
three and four months. The other prisoners 
cannot make any specific declaration, as the 
packages they receive are few. 

The Americans say that the packages which 
they have received up to the present were in 
fairly good state, except five or six which 
reached them almost empty. The number 
which they receive is two individual packages 
per week. 

In order to prepare the contents of the pack- 
6i 



Prisoners of the Great War 

ages, the prisoners have a stove with four open- 
ings for each company or group, which up to 
the present has been sufficient, but should 
the number of prisoners who receive packages 
be increased this arrangement would be abso- 
lutely insufficient. 

Canteen: There is one in the camp, but in it 
are sold only objects of personal use and occa- 
sionally some drinks such as lemonade. Also 
cigarettes, cigars, etc., are sold. The American 
prisoners request that also mineral water be 
placed on sale. 

Clothing: The general aspect of the prisoners 
is not bad, that of the Americans being the 
best. These especially wish that they be given 
boots with leather soles or that these be sent 
from their country. Their representative in the 
camp, referring to this point, asked that should 
these be sent, also leather be sent to repair 
them, as here no material whatever exists. 

Religious services: Only the Russians have 
religious service in the camp, but one is being 
prepared for the Catholics and for the Protes- 
tants, as soon as their number justifies it. 

Help committees: One exists for each nation- 
62 ' 



Reports by Neutral Delegates 

ality which, according to report, worked with- 
out difficulty up to the present. 

Recreation: They may receive and do receive 
periodicals authorized by the Ministry of War. 
Although they possess some instruments, they 
have not yet been able to compose an orchestra. 
Also there are some books. 

The American prisoners make frequent 
manifestations on this point, which will be 
touched upon further on. 

Correspondence: All prisoners may write two 
letters and four regulation post cards. Those 
which reach them from France or America are 
usually one to two months old, from Russia or 
Roumania some four months old. 

Work: There is no other except the general 
work of the camp, which is not paid for. There 
are also some special employments such as 
those of shoemaking, which are paid for at 
thirty pfennigs a day. The American prisoners, 
up to the present, lend no service except that 
for the camp. 

Punishments: There is a barrack reserved for 
this purpose in which are a great number of 
cells. The punishments are those usually en- 

63 



Prisoners of the Great War 

forced for light offenses with all usual appli- 
ances. The medium offenses allow bed and 
meals one day out of every four, and the re- 
maining days with only blankets and a double 
ration of bread. Heavier penalties are the same 
I as above, but carried out in darkness. On the 
day in which the visit took place, one hundred 
and twenty-eight Russians and one American 
were in confinement. The former were there on 
account of disobedience to the general rules of 
the camp, and the last mentioned on account of 
a petition from his companions because he sold, 
/ according to what they said, his own packages 
/ and stole their packages in order to eat them.;^ 
/ Observations: There is, in addition to the 
American prisoners above mentioned, who are 
all military prisoners, one civilian by the name 
of Henry C. Emery, ^ taken some twenty days 
ago in Finland. This man is more in the light of 

1 Mr. Emery is the son of Judge L. A. Emery, of Maine. 
He was a professor at Bowdoin College and afterwards at 
Yale, and served as Chairman of the Tariff Commission un- 
der President Taft. He was sent on a commercial mission to 
Russia in 1917 and was captured by the Germans while on 
his way from that country to America. He was held a pris- 
oner for nearly a year. He was released just before the armi- 
stice was signed, and arrived in America in November, 191 8. 

64 ■ 



Reports by Neutral Delegates 

an interne than of a prisoner, and on this ac- 
count is not subject to the rules of the former, 
it being beHeved that very shortly he will be 
liberated. I was not able to speak to him during 
the visit, as it happened that he had gone for a 
walk, accompanied by a German attendant. 

Opinion of the delegate: Accepting what was 
said by the German authorities concerning the 
dampness of the barracks on account of the sys- 
tem of construction and above all because pris- 
oners presented no complaints on this ground, 
this camp may be accepted. The treatment by 
the commander and other authorities of the 
camp of the prisoners seems good. Prisoners 
presented no complaints on this subject. Ex- 
cept for the barracks where they are independ- 
ently kept, the treatment of American prison- 
ers is the same as that received by others in this 
camp. 

The American prisoners presented no com- 
plaint whatever against personal treatment, 
declaring themselves satisfied up to the present 
time with the treatment afforded them by the 
commander, as well as the other authorities of 
the camp. 



Prisoners of the Great War 

Concerning food, they desire that the Can- 
teen should sell some mineral waters, as they 
say the water of the camp is not good to drink, 
and they need more water. 

The interview with the prisoners took place 
in the presence of an official appointed by the 
Commander of the Camp. 

(Sd) 



Tuchel, 14th of April, 1918 

There were in the camp of Tuchel 10 Ameri- 
cans, 300 Roumanians, 3800 Russians and 5 
Russian children from Kalish. 

Under the heading of "Food," the Spanish 
Embassy report of February 9, 1918, states: 
"In the kitchen they were given blood sausage, 
sour cabbage and potatoes. Only twice a week 
is there a meal with meat. The ration of bread 
is 285 grs. daily." 

"Lodgings" — underground huts. 

Under the head of "Canteen," this report 
states: "The cheapest cigarettes 8 pfg. each. 
Also pickles at from 20 to 30 pfg. apiece." 

66 



Reports by Neutral Delegates 

CAMP TUCHEL 
Food Board for April, iqi8 



Day 


Breakfast 

Units 


Dinner 

Units 


Supper 
Unit 8 


Sunday 


lo coffee substitute 
5 sugar _ 
o.oio saccnanne 


50 beef 
400 potatoes 
500 " wrucken " 
30 mixed flour 
25 buckwheat, oats 


SO sea-food 

200 potatoes 

5 grease 

3 tea , 

COT 5 saccharine 


Monday 


See Sunday 


100 beans 
200 potatoes 
SO mixed flour 
7-5 grease 


75 barley 

200 potatoes 

5 grease 


Tuesday 


See Sunday 


125 fish 

40 dry vegetables 
400 potatoes 

50 mixed flour 
S grease . 

25 mustard substitute 


50 semolina 

25 sugar 

50 marmalade 


Wednesday.... 


See Sunday 


50 salt meat 

300 sauerkraut 

400 potatoes 
30 mixed flour 
25 buckwheat, oats 


50 sea-food 

200 potatoes 

5 grease 

3 tea _ 

0.015 saccharine 


Thursday 


See Sunday 


500 "wrucken " 
300 potatoes 
so mixed flour 
7.5 grease 


75 barley 

200 potatoes 

5 grease 


Friday 


See Sunday 


125 fish 

40 dry vegetables 
400 potatoes 

50 mixed flour 
5 grease _ 

25 mustard substitute 


50 semolina 

25 sugar 

50 marmalade 




Saturday 


See Sunday 


100 meat sausage 
300 sauerkraut 
400 potatoes 
60 mixed flour 


100 beans 
200 potatoes 
S grease 



The quantities above are all expressed in grammes. Subject to alteration. 

Under date of April 8, 191 8, we were notified 
by the Spanish Embassy report that all pri- 
vates and non-commissioned officers with the 

67 



Prisoners of the Great War 

American Army taken prisoners on the Western 
Front would be concentrated at Tuchel after 
they have been disinfected at the temporary 
camp. 

The commandant of the camp at Tuchel was 
General V. Koclechreuth. He made the follow- 
ing statement on May 29 to Mr. Hoffmann, the 
Y.M.C.A. representative: "Though the Ameri- 
can prisoners are not my friends, I must tell 
you that their behavior here in the camp is 
excellent." 

June 7, 1918, report No. 

32, says: 

"To the various questions put by the dele- 
gate, the American prisoners made the follow- 
ing statements, — On the 12th of January of 
the present year, there arrived in the camp at 
Tuchel 8 American prisoners captured on the 
3d of November, 1917, at Lorena, whose names 
are, — Sergeant Hallyburton, Privates Decker, 
Gallegher, Grafray, Grimsley, Kendall, Lester 
and Longhman; that in reality they were very 
hungry because during the journey from the 
former camp (Darmstadt) to the actual one 
where they are now, they received nothing 

68 - 



Reports by Neutral Delegates 

more than German rations, which they say 
were exceedingly small; that when they arrived 
they were lined up on the square of the camp 
where the Major-General commanding the 
camp addressed them in a German speech, and 
as a consequence, they understood not a word. 
Concerning their shoes, they in reality were 
taken away from the eighteen following pris- 
oners, the 8 above mentioned in the first part 
of the report and further on those named 
(their full names will be found in the descrip- 
tion which accompanies the previous report of 
April 13). The American leather boots which 
they were wearing were taken and in their 
place, others with wooden soles were given 
them; they were not allowed to take any cloth- 
ing; in reality, they were camped for a while 
(approximately one month) without money of 
any kind. Sergeant Hallyburton, of the i6th 
Infantry, F.C., Stony Point, North Carolina, 
had in his possession frs. 1800, which he 
changed into marks, and with which he helped 
his American fellow prisoners until help reached 
them. When his money was spent, a part was 
returned to him by these same American com- 

69 



Prisoners of the Great War 

panion prisoners. On the 4th of May, the Amer- 
ican Red Cross at Berne wrote to them that 
they were sending them 96 pairs of shoes and 
other things, and on the arrival of this total in- 
voice, all the shoes except one were missing, — 
that is to say, of 96 pairs, only one shoe arrived; 
also the following objects, — 96 cans of corned 
beef hash, 20 packages of biscuits, 100 pounds 
of sugar, 8 cans of tomatoes, 32 flannel over- 
shirts and 31 suits of pajamas; they beg, in 
view of these repeated losses, an energetic in- 
tervention on the part of the Embassy be made 
in order that such abuses might be corrected, 
as it occasions a great moral and material loss. 
Referring to these shoes, the German authori- 
ties declare their shoes were taken from them in 
conformity with an order of the Ministry of 
War which decrees that this shall be done, that 
if for any reason they go outside of the camp, 
the 18 pairs of shoes, which are in the store- 
house in the camp, will be returned to them. 
Referring to the loss of packages, the German 
authorities declare that all that they can as- 
certain is that when the packages reached the 
camp, these objects were missing. The treat- 

70 ' 



Reports by Neutral Delegates 

ment of the prisoners by the commandant of 
the camp appears good and all the assertions 
of the prisoners on the subject confirm It." 

In the name of the American Red Cross I 
protested, under date of July 9, 19 18, through 
the International Red Cross, against the tak- 
ing away of shoes from American prisoners of 
war and substituting wooden shoes; and also 
against the theft of ninety-five and one half 
pairs of shoes shipped to the prisoners of war. 

Under date of October 11, 1918, the German 
Minister of War replied to the International 
Red Cross as follows: "Clothing and uniforms 
belonging to prisoners of war worn by them at 
the time of their capture are considered as war 
booty." 

The International Red Cross, in forwarding 
to the American Red Cross this letter, under 
date of October 17 stated: "We cannot sub- 
scribe to the pretensions of the Imperial Gov- 
ernment concerning the clothing and uniforms 
of prisoners as booty of war. This affirmation is 
in effect contrary to the fourth article of the 
Hague Convention which provides that all per- 
sonal property of prisoners of war, excepting 
. 71 



Prisoners of the Great War 

their arms, their horses, and their mihtary pa- 
pers, shall remain their property." 



{Translation) 
STUTTGART ZONE— VILLIN GEN CAMP 



. . Berlin 

American Report 
No. 63 

The following American officers were there 
on the day of the visit: 

Major I 

Captains 4 

Captain Lieutenant (ist Lieutenant) i 

Lieutenants 38 

Physicians 21 

Officers of merchant marine _5 

Help Committee: The American Help Com- 
mittee works regularly and to the satisfaction 
of the officers. 

They desire facilities for storing food and 
clothing for officers who arrive at the camp and 
are in need of them, but the places at present at 
their disposal are not sufficient. The camp au- 
thorities state that the storerooms at the dis- 

72 ' 




IN THE PRISON CAMP AT VILLINGEN, GERMANY 

Major Sarda (centre), of the Spanish Artillery, was Official Representative of 

the United States Government for the Inspection of German Prison Camps. 

Major Harry Brown (left), of Milford, Mass., and Major Dirk Bruins 

(right), U.S. Sanitary Train, were Prisoners of War 



Reports by Neutral Delegates 

posal of the committee are sufficiently large, 
but such a quantity of shipments are received 
that they are quite full of parcels and there 
are no others available. 

Sanitary service: The German physician vis- 
its the camp daily, those who must be placed in 
a hospital being sent to Offenburg. The health 
conditions are good, none of the officers being 
ill at the time of the visit. They stated that 
there had been an epidemic of grippe during 
the preceding months in a light form, when the 
officers remained in their dormitories, there 
being no infirmary, and these were not after- 
wards infected. There were no deaths and only 
one officer had to be taken to the hospital. 

Hygienic services: Satisfactory to the prison- 
ers with the exception that the floor of one of 
the toilets had fallen in somewhat and there 
were unpleasant odors; the toilets are cared for 
and disinfected with usual frequency. The Ger- 
man authorities stated that they would have the 
floor of the one complained of repaired at once. 

Food: In consideration of the rationing of 
civilians in Germany, the food served in this 
camp is good. 

--^ 73 



Prisoners of the Great War 

Canteens: There are two, one an ordinary can- 
teen and the other for the sale of various arti- 
cles, — writing materials, delicacies, cigarettes, 
and certain foods and drinks. The canteen 
prices are fixed. The officers consider the prices 
of the special canteen as high and fixed accord- 
ing to the caprice of the one in charge. There- 
fore they buy nothing there. The camp authori- 
ties contend that the prices are the same as 
those in the town and vary according to com- 
mercial variations, yet are, to a certain extent, 
regulated by the man in charge. 
* Amusements: They have tennis and football, 
but find the football field too small and would 
like to obtain ground farther from the camp for 
this purpose; would also like to have permission 
to go out Sunday afternoons to sketch and 
paint in the neighborhood of the camp. The 
camp authorities told them that they have suf- 
ficient space within the camp grounds for sports 
and cannot have any other plot of ground out- 
side. They go for a walk once a week; also have 
a library. 

Religious services: Asked the German author- 
ities permission to assist at the Catholic and 

74 



Reports by Neutral Delegates 

evangelical services of the city churches, as the 
officers of other nationalities are allowed to 
do. The camp authorities say that as there is a 
Catholic and a Protestant service inside the 
camp for American prisoners once a month they 
do not need to attend the city churches. 

Correspondence and parcels: They make no 
complaint regarding letters, but say that as the 
service of the camp is not well organized and 
the storehouses not sufficiently large, the par- 
cels sometimes are not distributed for three 
days. They usually take a month to come, 
those sent from Switzerland or their own coun- 
try arriving in good condition, although those 
sent from other camps in Germany are usually 
minus part of their contents. They want the 
parcel distribution service in the camp reor- 
ganized; also would like to know the reasons 
when a letter is not passed by the censor. The 
authorities of the camp promised this would be 
attended to. 

Treatment: They have no complaint as to the 
treatment received in the camp, their relations 
with the authorities being good. 

Punishments: Lieutenant Vaughan considers 
75 



Prisoners of the Great War 

the punishment he received of six days' arrest 
for having written the word "Boche" in his 
diary as excessive. The German authorities 
stated that, as a matter of fact, he was pun- 
ished because he always used the word "Boche " 
in refen ing to Germans in his diary. 
The prisoners expressed the following desires : 

1. Desire necessary measures be taken to 
avoid lack of proper heating when the cold 
weather comes, as happened last winter accord- 
ing to the accounts of Russian officers who were 
interned in this camp. {A.) Last winter the coal 
was very scarce, but during the coming cold 
season, they are to receive the same amount as 
the civilian population and the heating will be 
better. 

2. Ask for more orderlies, since at present 
there is only one for twenty officers; also that 
they shall be Americans, if possible, or at least 
understand English, since there are Russians 
among their present orderlies who understand 
neither English nor French, which makes com- 
munication with them very difficult. {A,) Seven 
American orderlies are expected who will be 
used here. 

76 



Reports by Neutral Delegates 

3. That the payment of checks may be has- 
tened, since six weeks passed between handing 
them in at the Kommandantur and the receipt 
of the money. {A.) They cannot be paid until 
there is a guarantee that the banks on which 
they are drawn have the amount in said ac- 
counts, since payment has been made and it 
was afterwards found that the money was not 
in the banks referred to (this in the case of cer- 
tain merchant marine officers). 

4. Complain that when made prisoners, 
German soldiers, even officers, took from them 
watches, rings, shoes, and other private prop- 
erty. 

5. In the Karlsruhe Camp, their leather 
belts, their own property, were confiscated. 

6. In the Landshut Camp, Officers Wardell, 
Meelen, Strong, and Jueker were punished 
with thirty-one days' arrest for attempt to es- 
cape, while French officers only received 
twenty-eight days for the same offense, and 
they consider it unjust that American officers 
should be more harshly punished in the same 
camp. 

The interview with the prisoners took place 
77 



Prisoners of the Great War 

in the presence of the official representative of 
inspection. 

The impression of the delegates in regard to 
this camp is satisfactory, except that they 
would like to have an infirmary established 
there. 

Physician 

Physician 

Stuttgart, SepUmber 28, 191 8 

VILLINGEN CAMP 
(Extract from Report by May 31, 191 8) 

The general aspect of the American prison- 
ers was good, which is especially due, as they 
reported, to the packages which they receive 
from their country. 

Prices in Canteen: Cigars, 25 to 80 pfg. each; 
cigarettes from 8 to 10 pfg. each; matches, 8 
pfg. a box; pipe tobacco, 90 pfg. a package; 
sardines, 1.80 a box; olives, i.io a box. 

BRANDENBURG CAMP 
(Visited October 2, 191 8) 

There were seventeen Americans in this 
camp, which has been described in previous re- 

78 ' 



Reports by Neutral Delegates 

ports, and seventeen others were distributed in 
working detachments. 

They all belonged to crews of merchant ves- 
sels and their names were given the Spanish 
Embassy after a previous visit. There was but 
one newcomer, who arrived two months ago: 
Mr. David Johnson, of the S.S. Atlantic Sun, 
torpedoed by a submarine. 

In conversing with the prisoners I was told 
that on the 15th of August last they wrote to 
the Spanish Embassy requesting that a visit be 
made to them and protesting that the letter 
had not yet reached its destination. 

They protested that Petty Officer, Mr. John 
Francis Murphy, of the M.S.S. Jacob Jones, 
was forced to work in the Holzmann Detach- 
ment of Doberitz in spite of his rank. The same 
thing happened to Foreman Walter W. Perkins, 
of the Esmeralda, who was forced to work on 
the railways. 

Two Americans were working in the Victoria 
II coal mine in Senftenberg and they com- 
plained that the work was very hard. They 
asked that the delegates at the Berne Confer- 
ence should be telegraphed to make an arrange- 

79 



Prisoners of the Great War 

ment by which American prisoners should not 
be called upon to do such hard work. 

Many complained of the poor parcels service. 
Out of 720 parcels sent the committee since 
the 2d of April, 129 were lost or disappeared 
during transit. Each one weighed sixteen 
American pounds. Of seven parcels which the 
committee sent to Mr. Thomas Durfee, who 
was working in the Juterborg Artillery Depot, 
only one reached him. 

The German sergeant charged with the par- 
cels service has recently been changed and it is 
hoped that it will, in future, be more satisfac- 
tory. 

They stated that they wrote to the American 
Red Cross last March asking for bandages and 
medicines for stomach troubles, as well as ton- 
ics, but nothing of this nature has as yet been 
received. (Sent but stolen in transit. C.P.D.) 

State that they have everything they require 
and have no need of money or any shipments of 
a special nature. 

The German authorities give them neither 
soap nor towels. 

There is no cinematograph in operation in 
80 



Reports by Neutral Delegates 

this camp. The men would like the one installed 
put in working order, it having been prohibited 
by the general after the second representation 
on plea of danger from fire. 

State that the German authorities erased 
two names from the list of American prisoners 
lodged here, which was sent by the committee 
to the Spanish Embassy, and added one to it. 
They protested that the two (?) added by the 
Germans are not Americans, whereas the one (.^) 
excluded from list is American. The Ameri- 
can whose name was excluded is Sam Petrelli; 
the two added by the Germans who, however, 
are riot Americans, are James Samuels and 
Sam Judan. 

The captain of the Campana, Mr. Alfred 
Oliver, and Mr. Richardson, chief mate of the 
Encore, protest that a German sergeant tried 
to make them draw the cart in which the parcels 
are taken to the camp, and on their refusing to 
do so, put them under arrest for three days. 
They have since received satisfaction, since the 
sergeant was transferred, but they wish the in- 
cident to be communicated to their govern- 
ment. 

8i 



Prisoners of the Great War 

Mr. Frederick Jacobs, sailor of the Campana, 
has swollen legs. He is now occupied peeling 
potatoes, but, when the swelling goes down, 
they put him on harder tasks, and they begin 
swelling again. 

There are no complaints from other detach- 
ments where Americans are working: Branden- 
burg Railway, 2; Holzmann in Doberitz, 8; and 
Premnitz Powder Factory, 4. 

The commander representing the general of 
the camp said he would look into the cases of 
Mr. Murphy and Mr. Perkins and if they really 
hold the rank they allege they will be relieved 
of work. 

Parcels are not lost in the camp and the 
responsibility must rest somewhere en route, 
either in Germany or before crossing the fron- 
tier. Mr. Durfee's case, only one parcel out of 
seven being received, will be inquired into and 
proper proceedings will be taken to place re- 
sponsibility. 

The commander will endeavor to obtain per- 
mission from the general for reopening the cine- 
matograph. Will have the physician specify the 
class of work Mr. Jacobs is to do. 

82 



Reports by Neutral Delegates 

Opinion of the Delegate: The loss of parcels is 
so frequent and so great, that he urges ener- 
getic measures in regard to this matter, since 
the service, instead of improving, is becoming 
worse. It is desirable that a cinematograph be 
installed in this camp, as is the case in others. 
These defects corrected, the camp will produce 
a favorable impression. 

Medical Captain 
Delegate of 

Brandenburg J October 2, 191 8 

BRANDENBURG CAMP 

(Visit of November i, 1918, by to the 

prison camp at Brandenburg, 3d Army Corps) 

There are twenty-eight American prisoners. 
The lodging of these leaves something to be de- 
sired. The action of the weather has depreciated 
all the huts, the roofs of which present several 
leaks. This is made all the more noticeable be- 
cause no coal is provided for heating the place, 
and each man has only two blankets. They 
complain that they suffer from the cold and we 
certify that the temperature of the dormitories 

83 



Prisoners of the Great War 

was not comfortable. There was only oiie light 
in each hut and the corners not in the immedi- 
ate vicinity of the lamp are so dark that in or- 
der to inspect the beds, it was necessary to light 
a wax match. They receive no hot water to 
wash themselves. The prisoners said that the 
meals were not to their taste and they nour- 
ished themselves on the food s^nt to them. 

MERSEBURG CAMP 

American Report 
No. 62 

Two electric lights have been placed in each 
barracks since March 13 th and, besides the two 
already there, a gas jet outside illuminates the 
interior somewhat. 

Prisoners: Americans, 7 wounded; French, 
2000; Belgians, 21; Portuguese, 25. In the de- 
tachments there are also 14,000 French, 300 
Belgians, and 173 Portuguese. 

Food: The biscuits arrive and German bread, 
of good quality, is also given: 280 grs. In the 
canteen some vegetables can be bought, at 
prices a little higher than among the people. 

Health: There are eighty Frenchmen in the 
84' 



Reports by Neutral Delegates 

infirmary and two Belgians, who are well cared 
for by two physicians. There are also three 
Italian physicians. 

Correspondence: They are now receiving let- 
ters of August 15. 

Parcels: The prisoners state that the cars in 
which the parcels arrive from Switzerland, are 
opened in their presence or in the presence of 
men designated by them, so that they reach the 
camp in the same state as they left Switzer- 
land. But the parcels disappear between the 
camp and the detachments, the chief cause be- 
ing robbery on the railway, since, in general, 
the parcels are sent to the station and taken 
away by the prisoners themselves. When it has 
been proven that the loss has occurred en route, 
the railway companies indemnify the prisoners. 

Amusements: They go to church when they 
like and also have a theatre. . 

The American prisoners state that until the 
aid they have asked for arrives, the French as- 
sist them, giving them biscuits, and they re- 
ceive two soups a day in the hospital or infir- 
mary. 

According to communication of August 29 
85 



Prisoners of the Great War 

from the American Red Cross in Berne, each 
prisoner should very shortly receive parcels 
which are en route. 

The prisoners are satisfied with the camp 
treatment. The visit occurred in the presence 
of an official representative of the command- 
ant and an interpreter. 

The impression produced by the camp and 
the state of the prisoners may be considered 
good.^ 



Comandante , 
Delegate of the 

Visited 6/()/i^ 

STRALKOWO CAMP 

Fifth Army Corps 
(Visited September 23, 191 8) 

Effectives: On the day of the visit there were 
in this camp: 

H 759 French prisoners, 19 of 
; whom are assistants 

3 Belgians 
14 Serbians 
10 Americans 
Total 786 

86 ' 



Reports by Neutral Delegates 

Health: Of the ten Americans who are tem- 
porarily in this camp, seven recently left the 
hospital and expect to be sent to another camp. 
Three are still under treatment but doing well. 
Two of them are officers. 

They have a douche once a week, one thou- 
sand prisoners being able to take one daily. 
There are washing-machines for clothing and 
sheets, nine laundry machines, two centrifugal 
dryers, and two electric ironing machines of 
large dimensions, as well as rinsing coppers. 
The laundry installation is run by electricity as 
well as the pumps which supply water to the 
camp. 

There is a medical visit daily. 

Alimentation: The kitchen has twenty-eight 
boilers served by twenty-four Russian and 
three French cooks. The French cooking is done 
apart from that of the Russians. 

They receive three hundred grs. of bread 
daily and have meat and fish once a week. At 
other times tinned food. The chief food is bar- 
ley soup in the morning. At noon, potatoes, 
with flour and tinned food. In the evening, po- 
tatoes, carrots, barley, margarine, and extract 

87 



Prisoners of the Great War 

of bone. The prisoners consider the food insuf- 
ficient. 

Help Committee: Biscuits are received from 
the French committee and tinned goods from 
the English. Two days ago thirty parcels, with 
clothing, tinned foods, and tobacco were re- 
ceived. 

Mail: They have been prisoners since July 
and have received no mail. 

Canteen: Lemonade is sold at 0.25 ; cigarettes 
at 0.42; wine at 2.50 the glass and ten marks a 
bottle. 

Recreation: On Sunday they go to a football 
field and have a cinematograph where they pay 
fifty centimes. 

Treatment: Made no complaint. 

Infirmary: The following prisoners are there: 

French 204 

Belgians i 

Serbians 4 

Americans 3 

Total 212 

The American officers and other prisoners 
made no complaint in regard to the treatment 
received and had no requests. 

88 ' 



Reports by Neutral Delegates 

General requests: Corporal Lloyd Gardnpr, of 
the CCC I ID Infantry, asks for $100.00 for the 
seven companions in the camp. 

General: The treatment offers nothing to 
complain of. The food is the same as in most of 
the camps. The infirmary and other sanitary 
installations of disinfection, laundry, etc., are 
good and surgical instruments abundant. 

Paper bandages are used, as in all infirma- 
ries, for external use but not for open wounds, 
for which sterilized gauze is used. 

In regard to the sale of bread, the Ameri- 
can prisoners gave no information whatsoever, 
this being done by the French who stated that 
bread was sold in the camp at twenty marks for 
a loaf of three pounds of which fact the German 
authorities were ignorant. 

(Sgd) 

Medical Commander 

Medical Captain 
. Delegates of 

Poserif September 7, 191 8 

P.S. The list of prisoners is being awaited to 
give financial aid. 

89 



Prisoners of the Great War 

SKALMIERSCHUTZ CAMP 

Fifth Army Corps 
(Visited September 25, 191 8) 
i\ro. 58 

There are ten Americans in this camp, who 
were taken prisoners during June and July and 
transported from the front to the Skalmier- 
schutz Hospital for attendance. When cured 
they were put in the camp, where they are 
at present awaiting transfer to another place. 
They are lodged in one of the barracks of the 
Russian block. 

Health conditions: There is no one in the 
hospital. The medical service is carried on by 
German and Russian physicians. In the infir- 
mary there are appliances for urgency cases 
and also a dentist. 

Alimentation: They receive 300 grs. of 
bread daily. Meat: 100 grs. a week, and 150 
tinned. Fish: 250 grs. Marmalade: 200 grs.; 
potatoes 3950 grs., and 50 grs. of margarine. 

Correspondence: They have received no letters. 

Lodging: In a semi-subterranean barrack 
with front windows and skylights. Beds hastily 
constructed of boards and placed along the 

90 



Reports by Neutral Delegates 

walls, raised above the floor. Straw mattress 
and pillow and one cover during the present 
season. Heating in winter by means of coal 
stoves and ovens. There is no artificial light. 
Collective cooking done by Germans and Rus- 
sians. Bath, disinfection, and laundry service. 

Canteen: Assorted: cigarettes with variable 
prices, fixed by the authorities, lemonade and 
various articles. 

Religious service: Catholic and Protestant 
each fortnight. 

Amusements: Walks, sports, library, cine- 
matograph. 

Work: None. 

Punishments: There have been none. No 
complaint has been made in regard to the 
treatment of the authorities. The French com- 
mittee has been helping them with bread and 
other food. Have received no parcels from 
home. 

Wishes and complaints of general character: 
They require clothing and towels. If trans- 
ferred to another camp they would like to be 
put with the French. Nine of the prisoners 
would like to have $10.00 each. 

91 



Prisoners of the Great War 

Impression of the delegates: The impression 
obtained from the visit is good, with the excep- 
tion of that produced by the barracks where 
they are lodged, and the Commander of the 
Camp stated that they were to be transferred 
to another as soon as it was finished. 

(Sgd) _ 

Medical Captain 

Medical Commander 
Delegates of 

PoseUy September 27, 191 8 

P.S. The list of the prisoners is expected, 
when financial aid will be given them. 

(Extracts from Report on Skalmierschutz 

Camp, Sth Army Corps, visited September 25, 1918) 

There are ten Americans in this camp. They 
are lodged in one of the barracks of the Russian 
block. 

They receive 300 grs. of bread daily; meat, 
100 grs. a week and 150 tinned; fish, 250 grs.; 
marmalade, 200 grs. ; potatoes, 3950 grs., and 50 
grs. of margarine. 

They have received no letters. 
92 ' 



Reports by Neutral Delegates 

Lodging in a subterranean barrack with 
front windows and skylights. Beds hastily con- 
structed of boards and placed along the walls, 
raised above the floor. Straw mattresses and 
pillow and one cover during the present season. 

American prisoners require clothing and 
towels. 

(Extracts from Report, September i8, 

date of visit, 17th Army Corps, Schutzlazarett Hospi- 
tal. Date of report September 28, 191 8) 

On day of visit, following prisoners : French, 
II officers and 219 privates; Belgian, 4 pri- 
vates; American, I private. 

The officers are suffering from wounds re- 
ceived in the war and most of the soldiers from 
surgical operations and inflammation; some 
with internal affections. 

They receive 400 grs. of bread a day, 500 
grs. daily of potatoes, and 300 grs. of meat 
weekly. The meals have vegetable basis and 
are not sufficiently nutritious. The food for the 
day consisted of carrots, wheat grains mixed 
with flour. On being tried, it proved to be badly 
cooked, and not nourishing. The officers would 
like to see the food of the soldiers improved. 

93 



Prisoners of the Great War 

Mail IS very irregular, both for letters and 
parcels. 

The rooms for the soldiers are well lighted, 
but with poor ventilation. 

There is no complaint except of the food 
which the prisoners consider insufficient and 
badly cooked. 

They want more water taps with running 
water, for toilet and laundry purposes, but the 
authorities consider those at present existing as 
sufficient. 

They ask for better food and also permission 
to make the coffins for their comrades who die. 



Chapter VIII 

ESCAPES 

Very naturally, attempts were constantly 
made by prisoners of war to escape from the 
German prison camps, and most of those who 
were successful made for the Swiss frontier. At 
one period an average of two prisoners a day 
crossed the line, and many interesting stories 
were told by these men, some of a very thrilling 
character. 

The first American prisoner to escape into 
Switzerland from a German prison camp was 
an aviator named Everett Buckley, of Chicago. 
Buckley was my guest for several days and per- 
sonally told me the story of his remarkable es- 
cape. I am repeating it here in his own words : 

"I was attached to the French Escadrille 
N-65. During an early combat, I was shot 
down, my plane being damaged, and landed on 
Dun-sur-Meuse on September 6, 191 7. My 
machine was upset and when it struck the 
ground, I was at first a little stunned. How- 
ever, I tried to follow my orders, that if I ever 

95 



Prisoners of the Great War 

landed in enemy territory, I must immediately 
burn my machine and destroy my leather 
boots, both of these being valuable to the Ger- 
man military forces. While endeavoring to 
carry out these orders, I was knocked down by 
a crowd that had gathered. I was being pretty 
roughly used when a German military ofHcer 
rode into the crowd on horseback, slashing 
right and left with his sabre and seriously in- 
juring several Germans. There is no question in 
my mind that I owe my life to this officer's in- 
tervention, as the Germans at that time were 
very bitter about the aeroplanes that were be- 
ginning to drop bombs in their country. They 
were very much afraid of this kind of warfare, 
the example for which they themselves had set. 
In saving me, however, I hardly think the offi- 
cer was actuated by any humane motives, but 
rather wanted to use me as a possible source of 
military information. Although as a result of 
this experience I was badly bruised, I was not 
severely wounded, and I was never seen by a 
doctor. 

"I was walked to a small village and taken to 
an old house where I was questioned by Ger- 

96 




EVERETT BUCKLEY 

The first American prisoner to escape into Switzerland. He was 
enlisted with the French 



Escapes 

man officers. From there I was taken to the for- 
tress of Montmedy where I was kept in a cell for 
eighteen days, alone most of the time, and fed 
exclusively on bread and water. After being in 
this fortress for some hours, I was desperate for 
a cigarette. Somehow or other, I had managed 
to retain my leather belt, and motioning to the 
guard, offered it to him in exchange for a ciga- 
rette. I passed the belt to him through the bars 
of my cell. The guard took it and spat in my 
face in return. 

"After eighteen days' confinement in this 
fortress, I was taken to the so-called 'Micro- 
phone hotel ' at Karlsruhe. At that time I had 
no knowledge of this hotel, but it has since be- 
come famous and is now well known to the 
various captured officers and aviators. Here I 
was placed in a room and given supper with 
several other Allied officers, English and 
French. In running my hand underneath the 
table at supper, I found a card pinned there on 
which was written: 'Be careful, there is a dicta- 
phone in the lamp.' Over the centre table was a 
large hanging lamp, and upon investigation, a 
dictaphone was discovered. It seems that the 

97 



Prisoners of the Great War 

German idea is to obtain military information 
by placing Allied officers together in this room 
soon after their capture, giving them a good 
meal, in the expectation that during the meal, 
they would exchange experiences and discuss 
matters which might yield valuable military 
information as to the location of military units. 

"At the end of five days, I was taken to the 
prison camp near Karlsruhe. It is an officers' 
camp and I stayed there six weeks. Although I 
was not physically ill-treated, I was insulted, 
sneered at and constantly called all sorts of 
names, on account of my being an American 
volunteer. I was told that I had no business in 
the war and had better be dead. This was said 
to me by a German officer through an inter- 
preter. 

"From Karlsruhe I was sent to Heuberg, at 
the head of the Black Forest, where I remained 
in a camp for two months. I escaped from this 
camp by breaking through the fence. I man- 
aged to reach the frontier, but was caught just 
as I was going over. They sent me back to Heu- 
berg where I was threatened several times with 
a bayonet because I refused to do road-making 

98 



Escapes 

in an artillery fort. The presence of other pris- 
oners at the time was the only thing that saved 
my life. 

"The next place to which I was sent was 
Donaueschingen, where I was put to work on a 
farm. After two days, I escaped from a field. I 
ran about five kilometres when I came to the 
Da,nube and was unable to cross. Once more 
they caught me and sent me back to Heuberg. 
I was placed in prison for thirty-one days, 
where I was given two hundred grammes of 
bread a day, with water, and a plate of soup 
every fifth day. They permitted me to go out 
and wash and get my drinking-water. At the 
termination of my prison sentence, I stayed ten 
days in the camp at Heuberg and was then sent 
to Varingenstadt on a farm. I remained there 
one day. That night I cut the bars out of a win- 
dow and escaped with seven other prisoners. 
Although I managed to get as far as Bolhlege, I 
was again caught by a sentry and sent back to 
Heuberg, which meant another thirty-one days 
in prison as before. 

"Having completed my sentence, I was sent 
back to Varingenstadt and placed on another 

99 



Prisoners of the Great War 

farm. It was here that I received much ill- 
treatment. I said that I was ill, and made out I 
was more ill than I really was, because I had in 
mind to attempt another escape. I requested to 
see a doctor. They sent for the sentry who came 
and called me every name he could think of, 
the doctor being in a village twelve kilometres 
away. As the sentry did not care to walk this 
distance, he refused to let me go, but I insisted 
and finally the guard started out with me. The 
minute he got me outside of the first village, 
the guard began kicking me and knocked me 
down three times with the butt of his rifle. In 
fact, the guard literally kicked me the whole 
twelve kilometres. 

"To spare themselves the effort of actually 
kicking, the guards have devised an Ingenious 
method. They hang the rifle by the strap over 
the shoulder with the butt down, hanging be- 
tween the thigh and the knee. They then walk 
behind the prisoner and from time to time 
throw the butt violently forward, which ad- 
ministers a severe blow to the unfortunate 
prisoner. When we reached the village, the 
guard saw the doctor first and evidently told 

100 



Escapes 

him things about me because when I entered, I 
was not examined, but sent back immediately. 
All the way back to the camp, the sentry ill- 
treated me in the same manner as he did com- 
ing out. When we got back to the barracks, he 
again came in to see me but was evidently 
afraid to come alone; he brought a civilian with 
him and they both kicked me and knocked me 
down several times. I was kept in the barracks 
about two hours, and when the rest of the 
French prisoners came back, they made a com- 
plaint to the Burgomaster of the village. One 
Frenchman who was ill saw the sentry kick me. 
The sentinel told the Burgomaster that I was a 
liar and that he had never touched me. I then 
made a complaint and sent it to the Com- 
mander of the Camp at Heuberg, but never 
heard anything of it. 

"In July, 1918, I was sent on a working 
Kommando into a hayfield. On the edge of the 
field there was a wooded hill, with the timber 
running down to the field. About three o'clock 
one afternoon, I saw an opportunity to escape. 
I gradually edged over to the wooded hill, and 
at an opportune moment, dropped my pitch- 

lOI 



Prisoners of the Great War 

fork and made a dash for the woods. My escape 
was discovered immediately and about twenty 
people joined in the chase. The guards were 
very much surprised and shot wild, which en- 
abled me to reach cover safely. There I hid until 
things had quieted down a bit. Knowing that 
dogs would be used to follow my trail, I secured 
some wild garlic and thoroughly rubbed my 
boots with it. I then walked for six nights with 
nothing to eat but raw potatoes. I had pre- 
viously provided myself with a map and a com- 
pass, which I had secreted on my person, and 
set my course for the Swiss frontier some sev- 
enty-five miles distant. I hid in the daytime 
and traveled only at night. 

"On the morning of July 27 (1918), I ar- 
rived near the Swiss border. Here I found three 
lines of guards stationed, and patrols with dogs 
passing up and down between them. I crawled 
out into a wheat-field and carefully studied the 
situation all day long, preparing my course and 
plans to pass between the guards that night. 
Fortunately, it rained very hard at night and 
it was very dark. At half-past ten, I began my 
painful journey, crawling on my stomach* I 

102 



Escapes 

tied my shoes about my neck so they would not 
scrape on any object, stuffed my handkerchief 
,in my mouth so the dogs would not hear me 
breathe, and rubbed myself thoroughly with 
wild garlic so the dogs would not smell me. 
These preliminaries over, I wriggled along 
slowly and painfully until I saw the dim outline 
of the first sentry. I then worked away from 
this sentry to a point where I could pass by 
him, and then wriggled along until I came in 
sight of the second sentry. By following this 
plan, I succeeded in getting by all three sen- 
tries. I then walked until I came to a signboard 
and found that I was at Ramsen in Switzer- 
land. The first people I met were two musicians. 
They took me to the military police where I was 
questioned. The police then took me to a train 
at Stein and I changed for Schaffhausen. Dur- 
ing the trip, I had worn my clothes almost en- 
tirely off below the waist. At Schaffhausen a 
French Swiss gave me a rough suit of clothes, a 
pair of shoes, a cap, dinner, and bed. I arrived 
in Berne on July 28. The American Red Cross 
at Berne fitted me out with new clothing and 
gave me money. I then returned to France." 

103 



Prisoners of the Great War 

The second prisoner to escape was Thomas 
Hitchcock, Jr., of New York. 

Hitchcock was an American attached to a 
French flying corps. He had been saving up 
food in anticipation of an attempt to escape. 
When being transferred from Lechfeld to a 
new prison camp, he and two other aviators 
were put in charge of an old German guard 
during the journey. They were traveHng in an 
ordinary passenger coach, and each had his 
personal belongings in a haversack. As they 
drew Into the station at Ulm, the German 
guard was examining a railroad map. Hitchcock 
had a compass in his possession, but did not 
have the map which was so essential to a suc- 
cessful escape. The German guard could not 
understand English. Hitchcock told his com- 
panions to pretend to be asleep, and he did the 
same, and in a few moments the German guard 
dozed off. Reaching over very quietly, Hitch- 
cock took the railroad map from the guard. 
When the train was leaving the station at Ulm, 
the guard reached for his map and, of course, 
found it missing. Realizing that his opportu- 
nity was then or never, Hitchcock arose, opened 

104 




THOMAS HITCHCOCK, JR. 
As he appeared on his escape from Germany 



Escapes 

the door of the coach, and jumped out. The 
train had already started to pull out of the 
station, and Hitchcock rushed into the bushes 
by the railroad track. The German guard did 
not dare to run after him on account of the 
other two prisoners who were under his care. 
He cried out, but the train continued to move 
and was soon out of sight. 

From then on, Hitchcock had a remarkably 
easy escape. He walked approximately seventy 
miles out of Germany, and during the entire 
journey never saw but one German soldier. He 
slept during the day and walked at night, fol- 
lowing his map and compass. It was not easy to 
tell when he crossed the border, but he finally 
found a sign-post, and when he realized that he 
was in Switzerland, he said that he fell on his 
knees and thanked God. 

Hitchcock was fitted out at the American 
Red Cross stores, spent several days in Berne, 
and then returned to France. 

One of the most sensational escapes was that 
of Lieutenant Pilot Harold Willis, of New- 
ton, Massachusetts, and Lieutenant Edouard 

105. 



Prisoners of the Great War 

Victor M. Isaacs, U.S.N., of Portsmouth, 
Virginia. 

Lieutenant Willis was born on February 9, 

1890, and early in the war enlisted in the Amer- 
ican Ambulance Service at the front with the 
French Army. Later, he joined the famous 
"Lafayette Escadrille," and achieved some 
notable aerial victories. While flying a Spad 
monoplane, a chase machine, he was shot down 
on August 18, 1917. The American Red Cross 
at Berne was advised in September that Willis 
was a prisoner at Karlsruhe. Later, he was 
alternately reported at Landshut, Giitersloh, 
Eutin, Bad Stuer, and finally at Villingen. 

Lieutenant Isaacs was born on December 18, 

1891. He was assigned to the U.S.S. President 
Lincoln and was on that ship when it was tor- 
pedoed on May 31, 191 8, off the French coast. 
For several days he lived on the submarine and 
was later in the prison camps at Karlsruhe and 
Villingen. 

Upon arriving at Berne after his sensa- 
tional escape from Camp Villingen, Lieuten- 
ant Willis told the American Red Cross the 
experiences of Lieutenant Isaacs and himself, 

106 



Escapes 

and his account is given below in his own 
words : 

"When I was shot down at Dun on the 
Meuse, I was taken by German aviation offi- 
cers to their quarters where I was given break- 
fast. I was glad to have fallen into the hands of 
aviation officers, for German infantry maltreat 
captured aviators whenever they have the op- 
portunity. 

"Later I was taken to the fortress of Mont- 
medy where I was imprisoned for three weeks 
with other French officers. We were under the 
constant surveillance of German spies who 
posed as French prisoners. We had been warned 
not to talk, however, by other French officers. 

"From Montmedy I was taken to the famous 
^Microphone hotel' at Karlsruhe. We had often 
heard of this hotel in the Lafayette Escadrille 
and so did little talking of military matters, 
knowing that every word was being transmit- 
ted by dictaphones to German listeners. 

"French and British officers were put in the 
same room with me in order that we might 
talk together, but we were all 'wise' and talked 
about everything except the war. Underneath 

107 



Prisoners of the Great War 

the tables in these rooms we found notices in 
all languages from other prisoners who had been 
placed in the rooms warning us of the presence 
of dictaphones. 

"Lieutenant Savage, a French officer, found 
two microphones underneath the wall-paper in 
the room in which we were confined. He pulled 
the microphones out, wire and all. Immediately 
the listeners came rushing in in a furious rage. 
Lieutenant Savage was severely punished. 

"Next, I was sent to the aviation distribu- 
tion camp at Landshut, Bavaria. There I was 
subjected to a very severe search. My skin, 
mouth, ears, and hair were minutely examined. 
Acids were poured on my body to bring out 
suspected secret communications in invisible 
ink. My shoes and clothing were taken to 
pieces. Even the Croix de Guerre on my tunic 
was ripped off. A map and compass which I had 
were taken away from me. 

"At Landshut I was quarantined for a 
month and inoculated against cholera, typhoid 
and scarlet fever. There I was visited by an 
alleged Luxembourg count who claimed to 
represent the Red Cross. He offered to lend me 

io8 



Escapes 

money and evinced an unusual curiosity about 
the front. We had received warning about him 
while still fighting with the Lafayette Esca- 
drllle, and when he called, laughed In his face. 

"After my stay at Landshut, I was sent to 
Giitersloh, which Is about one hundred kilo- 
metres from the Dutch frontier. During my 
stay in Bavaria, I observed that all the German 
states do not suffer the same privations. At 
Giitersloh we were reasonably well fed and had 
meat, enough bread and, In addition, beer. 

"I was the first American to arrive at Gii- 
tersloh where there were about six hundred 
French and twelve hundred Russians. Every 
one was very kind to me and gave me food and 
clothing. The clothing I badly needed at the 
time. My stay at Giitersloh was the pleasantest 
in any of the many prison camps where I was 
imprisoned. 

"We had a Rugby team, a good hockey 
team, a French theatre, university study 
courses, moving pictures every night and games 
of all sorts. This treatment was too good to 
last. Suddenly all the French were ordered to 
leave the camp en masse. As I was in the 

109 



Prisoners of the Great War 

French Army I was removed with them. We 
were taken to a mihtary caserne at Eutin, Hol- 
stein, north of Liibeck. , 

"This camp was commanded by the most 
brutal type of Prussian officers. Our exercise 
was Hmlted to half the courtyard of the caserne. 
We were crowded into rooms without electric 
light or illumination and where there was no 
provision for cooking our own food. The food 
supplied by the Germans was uneatable with 
the exception of the potatoes. To cap our mis- 
ery, the parcels which we had been receiving 
from France were stopped early in December. 

"My chum and myself saved up a tin of 
corned beef during the whole month of Decem- 
ber in order that we might have a good Christ- 
mas dinner. At the beginning of the new year, 
things became worse. The full reprisal pro- 
gramme was enforced. All water was cut off at 
9 A.M. and we were permitted to have a fire for 
only two hours daily. The number of officers in a 
room was doubled and beds were superimposed 
in three tiers. Study classes, music, and athlet- 
ics were forbidden. The electric lights which 
they had given us in the first weeks of January 

no 



Escapes 

were extinguished at 8 p.m. and we were forced 
to go to bed at that hour. We were not per- 
mitted to walk in the corridors and were con- 
fined in our overcrowded rooms under condi- 
tions which would not be permitted in prisons 
in America. 

"We at once commenced making plans to 
escape. We made all arrangements for short- 
circuiting the electric lights and during the day 
spent our time copying maps. In February, 
enough parcels came so that we could save up 
enough food for our trip. We made our attempt 
to escape in the middle of March. 

"Twelve French officers volunteered to help 
us out by putting the electric light system out 
of order and by distracting the guards. We also 
made false keys to the doors going out of our 
building and made metal keys from plaster 
moulds. We also made ladders to climb over 
the first wall and wire-cutters to cut the outer 
barbed wire. 

"The night of the attempt to escape came. 
We got out of the buildings unobserved by the 
inner guards and grouped ourselves behind the 
first wall. At a given signal, the powerful llght- 

III 



Prisoners of the Great War 

ing system was put out of commission as 
planned. One of the men of the escaping team 
had shown himself to the exterior guard a sec- 
ond before the lights were put out in time to 
give the alarm, so that when we arrived at the 
outer barbed wire and started to cut through 
with our wire clippers, the guards were ready 
for us. Three of the team were captured and 
disappeared. We did not see them again. Three 
others succeeded in getting out, but were recap- 
tured and brought back to our building. 

"Shortly after this disappointment, thanks 
to the intervention of the American Govern- 
ment through the Spanish Embassy, I was sent 
to the small camp of Bad Stuer in Mecklen- 
burg. Here General Five of the Belgian Army, 
1 20 Russian officers, and myself shared accom- 
modations. 

"At this camp were a number of Roumanian 
officers who, soon after their brave country en- 
tered the war on the side of the Allies, deserted 
to the Germans. There were a few other Rou- 
manian officers in the camp and these treated 
the German-Roumanians with the scorn they 
deserved. When Roumania was so unfortu- 

112 



Escapes 

nately forced to drop out of the war, the grief 
of these patriotic Roumanian officers was piti- 
able. 

"The pro-German Roumanians, however, 
began spying and reporting on all our move- 
ments and conversations. Their conduct be- 
came so arrogant that General Five, aged as he 
IS, challenged them one after the other to duels. 
Not one of them accepted. Cowards that they 
were, they reported to the German command- 
ant that General Five had threatened their 
lives. I think the German commandant se- 
cretly rather loathed these renegades and that 
perhaps he unofficially admired old General 
Five. 

"At Bad Stuer, conditions were much less 
rigorous than at other German prison camps. 
In fact, they were quite exceptional. We were 
allowed to walk where we wished in the morn- 
ing and evening as well as to take a plunge in 
the lake in front of the camp before breakfast, 
and in the middle of the afternoon. In June, we 
were permitted to buy fishing licenses and to 
fish in the evening in the lake. We gave our 
word of honor that we would not try to escape. 

113 



Prisoners of the Great War 

The camp was an old summer hotel and was 
quite tolerable. 

"On July I, we were given two hours' notice 
to pack up for the prison camp at Villingen. We 
traveled first-class and were even permitted to 
talk to German civilians on the train. That was 
when Germany was winning. At the end of the 
first day's journey, we were locked up in the 
dungeon of the fortress of Magdeburg. The sec- 
ond night we spent in the old fortress of Mari- 
enburg above the city of Wiirzburg. 

"Finally we reached Villingen. Imagine my 
delight in seeing Americans again after being 
deprived of American news or American gossip 
after more than a year in prison camps with 
soldiers of other nationalities. At the time I ar- 
rived at Villingen, there were only two or three 
militia officers and a few American doctors cap- 
tured with the British troops. Compared with 
other officers' camps which I have been in and 
heard about while in Germany, Villingen ranks 
decidedly low. We were confined in a small sort 
of pen of huts where one could not see out. The 
barracks in which we were confined surrounded 
an inner pen. 

114 



Escapes 

"The sanitary conditions are indescribable 
at Villingen. I cannot emphasize this point too 
much. Villingen is a synonym for filth. The 
whole camp is alive with fleas and vermin of all 
sorts. Even the German commandant's office Is 
infested with crawlers. All the bug powder, the 
disinfectant sprinkled about, seemed to have 
no effect. The Russian soldiers there lived un- 
der indescribable conditions. The conditions 
from a sanitary standpoint were the worst I 
have ever seen. 

"When the so-called Spanish grippe broke 
out among the Russian soldiers, it instantly 
spread to the Americans. The well slept In beds 
two feet from the sick. No attempt at Isolation 
was made by the German authorities. Thanks 
to the good physical condition of the Americans 
and to the solid, upbuilding food we received 
regularly from the American Red Cross pack- 
ing-houses at Berne, Switzerland, we Ameri- 
cans pulled through the plague without any 
deaths among us. The Russians were hard hit 
and suffered much. Two died In a room next 
to us. 

"The Commander of the Camp was a per- 
115 



Prisoners of the Great War 

feet type of Prussian colonel, who, although not 
actually malicious, believed in the iron fist in 
every sense of the word. He absolutely refused 
to take the responsibility for the slightest im- 
provement in sanitary conditions or to grant 
the slightest request which might have made 
life easier for us. When forced by orders from 
his superiors to grant us certain concessions, he 
did so with reluctance. 

"However, there were certain bright fea- 
tures in our life. The arrival of the American 
Red Cross food boxes from Berne was an event. 
Invariably cheers broke out when they arrived, 
and this cheering used to make the guards 
somewhat nervous, especially those outside the 
camp who perhaps did not know what it was all 
about. 

"The Y.M.C.A. did splendid work to help 
us. The 'Y' sent us a wonderful as,sortment of 
books of all sorts. The books have been cata- 
logued and are well looked after. The gram- 
mars were much appreciated by the men, and 
the way the light and serious literature had 
been chosen called forth much favorable com- 
ment. 

ii6 . 



Escapes 

"In addition, the ^Y' sent us sporting goods 
of all sorts. These sporting goods meant a tre- 
mendous lot to us. The camp at Villingen is so 
small that the boys cannot play indoor baseball 
or football, but we got along passably with 
basket-ball and volley-ball. Teams were play- 
ing these two games all day long. 

"In addition, there were a couple of pianos 
in the camp, and a mandolin. Some of the boys 
were taking German lessons, and the Russian 
officers gave lessons in French. Some of the 
American doctors were able to procure works 
on professional subjects and made profitable 
use of their time. 

"The camp at Villingen, though badly ar- 
ranged, is in a delightful situation on the edge 
of the Schwarzwald. During the summer we 
were able to buy salad, onions, beans, and fresh 
vegetables of all sorts. This would have been 
impossible in a North German camp. 

"One of the amusing features of camp life at 
Villingen was the presence there of five or six 
old sea skippers who were taken off sailing boats 
in mid-Pacific and from as far south as New 
Zealand by the German raider Wolf. These 

117 



Prisoners of the Great War 

old boys were great yarn spinners and kept the 
boys roaring with laughter at their quaint ex- 
pressions and tall stories. I don't know what we 
would have done without them to cheer us up. 
Old *Dad Moore' was the only one who got 
grumpy. Dad said the other old salts had noth- 
ing to complain of as far as food and clothes are 
concerned, as the Red Cross was taking care 
of them. They all spend their time playing pi- 
nochle and peg-in-the-board. 

"From the moment I arrived at Villingen, I 
planned to escape. We found a place at one end 
of the pen which was weak and had been over- 
looked. So we accordingly made our ladders 
and other implements to escape. The news that 
we intended to escape got out, however. We 
suspected that several Bolsheviki Russians in 
the camp overheard others talking about our 
plans and revealed them to the guards. The day 
before we escaped, the interior guard was dou- 
bled permanently and a new wire fence was 
constructed at the place we intended to utilize. 

"Next Lieutenant Isaacs and I planned to 
escape on a technicality in our word-of-honor 
pass-book. Upon going for a walk around the 
Ii8 



Escapes 

camp we were made to sign a pass-book giving 
our word that we would not escape. To do so 
after having given one's word meant death be- 
fore a firing squad. 

"With a microscope and smuggled ink, we al- 
tered the wording of our books and of the seal 
which we made to read: 'We intend to escape. 
We do not give our word of honor.' We planned 
to sign this forged book and to escape, but be- 
fore we could utilize the idea, a Russian officer 
forestalled us and escaped two days before we 
planned to do so. 

"Next we attempted to break jail by making 
false keys and to open doors which would put 
us in between the inner and outer defenses. We 
tried to make a plaster cast and to cast some 
brass keys, but the experiment was a failure. 

"On October s, Lieutenant Isaacs, who was 
the ringleader in all these attempts to escape, 
said: 'We've got to get out to-morrow night. 
The new moon will soon be up. Everybody get 
ready.' 

"Accordingly, Lieutenant Isaacs made a 
bridge and cut the bars of his windows. The 
bridge, which was twenty feet long, was to be 

119 



Prisoners of the Great War 

placed over all the barbed wire and ditches. It 
was made out of wood one inch thick by two 
inches wide. How the men later crossed that 
frail bridge without cracking it, I 'm sure I don't 
know, as it was entirely unsupported. 

"Another team planned to go out of a win- 
dow and to cut a way through the outer wire 
with wire-cutters. A third team, which in- 
cluded George Puryear, who succeeded in get- 
ting through to Switzerland with Lieutenant 
Isaacs and myself, was to go out of a window on 
the same side with a ladder over the wire. 

"The fourth team, including myself, was to 
cut out of the camp into a separate enclosure 
within the camp occupied by the German 
guards. When the German guards rushed out, 
the men, who had made themselves wooden 
guns painted black, and German caps with the 
two familiar little buttons, were to join them in 
the rush through the main gate. 

"The fifth team, which had no hope of es- 
cape, was to take care of the short-circuiting 
of all lights by means of chains and weights. 
These men made a very careful study of each 
wire in order to kill each individual circuit. We 

120 



Escapes 

tried to have two men to each of these two 
chains to be sure that each circuit would be put 
out of commission. These 'circuit men' acted 
on a signal from the director or chief who gave 
the signal when all the sentries were in the most 
favorable positions. 

"A sixth team, which also had no hope of 
escaping, was to attract the side sentries out of 
the way. This team, which was composed of 
Russian officers of the old Russian Army, gave 
us every possible aid. They collected tin cans 
and filled them with stones which they were to 
throw about in big bags while the general 
breakout was in progress. 

"At the 'zero hour' everything was ready 
and every one was in his place. At a given sig- 
nal all the lights went out except one which 
flickered on account of the swinging of the 
chain and weights. Finally all the lights went 
out. The first three teams jumped from the 
windows and went across the bridges thrown 
across the wire and ditches. 

"There were four sentries to deal with on 
each of the long sides of the pen, and two sen- 
tries on the short sides, making twelve sentries 

121 



Prisoners of the Great War 

in all. As soon as our four teams poured out, 
these sentries began firing at the men. How 
many men were hit I do not know. The sen- 
tries, who were mostly middle-aged men, were 
as excited as we were. 

"Our party hid behind a small barracks at 
the end of the barracks in which the reserve 
guards were sleeping. I worked feverishly to 
cut the wire leading into the compound occu- 
pied by the guards and which was separated 
from our inner pen by an enclosure fence. 

"The guard on watch inside the camp rushed 
out as soon as the alarm was given, and the 
sleeping guards inside the barracks near us 
were called out by an under-officer. 'Heraus! 
Heraus!' he shouted. That was our signal. As 
the guards poured out of their sleeping bar- 
racks, we joined right in with them, our wooden 
guns and faked German caps and overcoats 
preventing us from being detected. 

"As we got to the main gate there was a 
painful pause while the gate was being un- 
locked. Fortunately the guards were so ex- 
cited that they did not pay much attention 
to us. One of the guards was so excited that 

122 



Escapes 

he kept loading and firing his gun into the 
air. 

"I was the first man through the hole I had 
cut in the wire and remained at the main gate 
ahead of the sleeping guards. A small kerosene 
lamp lighted up the spot, but the guard there 
was so busy loading and firing his rifle that he 
did not even turn around to look at me. I 
waited there perhaps fifteen or twenty seconds 
before the guard came out and unlocked the 
gate. 

"With the guards I rushed around to the 
southwest side of the barracks where three 
teams of our men were escaping. But as we ran, 
I edged off more and more into the darkness. 
An under-officer saw me edging off and shouted 
something at me. When he shouted again, I 
dropped all pretense, let my gun fall and ran off 
at top speed. 

"The squad began shooting at me then, but 
their aim was poor. I had a hard run uphill and 
was much distressed by the time I got to the 
top of the hill. My speed was n't very great for 
my heavy prison shoes were loaded with mud 
and each seemed as if it weighed ten pounds. 

123 



Prisoners of the Great War 

"Lieutenant Isaacs and I had arranged to 
meet at one of three rendezvous which we had 
selected. I kept along through the fields and 
along the edge of the woods avoiding all roads 
and houses. I came to our first rendezvous. No 
Lieutenant Isaacs. *He did n't get away,' I 
thought. 

" I kept on in the path we had chosen, how- 
ever, and soon I heard some one shouting. I 
dropped instantly into the bushes thinking it 
might be a guard. We had agreed to call out 
our names to each other, and when Isaacs 
shouted again, I jumped up and grabbed 
him. We sure were delighted to meet each 
other. 

"Instantly we set off at a jog-trot together. 
We made twenty kilometres that night. Next 
to the prison camp was a barracks containing a 
battalion of soldiers. We knew that these sol- 
diers would be sent out in all directions looking 
for us. We saw automobiles cruising up and 
down the roads with their lamps flashing off 
into the fields, and bicycle lights bobbing up 
and down in the distance. We kept off the 
roads, knowing that automobiles would be sent 

1^4 



Escapes 

ahead and guards dropped at all cross-roads to 
intercept us. 

"At various points on our trail, we dropped 
pepper to throw the prison camp dogs off our 
course. The first day of our journey across Ger- 
many was spent in a dense thicket close to 
a town. We were worried almost frantic by 
groups of children who roamed through the 
woods looking for nuts and gathering firewood. 
All during our trip we worried ourselves gray 
over the children who swarmed in all the coun- 
try districts of Germany and who would have 
been delighted to turn us over instantly to the 
authorities. 

"The next night we continued. We got 
bogged in a swamp and spent an hour getting 
out. We were covered with mud and wet to the 
skin when we finally dragged ourselves out. We 
crossed no bridges, but waded and swam every 
stream, drying ourselves out in the sun next 
day. For the greater part of the journey we had 
good maps and did not lose our route. 

"The second night we made twenty miles 
at least. We crossed ravine after ravine in 
the Schwarzwald valley. We saw no one that 

125 



Prisoners of the Great War 

night. The next day it rained, so we made our- 
selves a bed of pine boughs and covered our- 
selves over with my thin rubber raincoat. We 
hugged each other to keep warm. People were 
working about us in the woods near by. We 
could hear them as they crackled through the 
brush, but we were buried deep under our pine 
boughs and they did not find us. 

"Toward night it got so cold that we made 
an early start. We struck another deep moun- 
tain valley and passed many houses with lights 
in them. During the early morning hours as we 
were going west instead of south, we got into a 
country of which we had no detail maps. 

"We struck a road which ended in the woods. 
We tried to find the continuation of the road 
and walked around in a circle. Finally we re- 
traced our steps. We lost two hours that night. 
Toward dawn we passed a fine vegetable garden 
belonging to an old monastery. We took two 
fine heads of cabbage which certainly were most 
welcome. 

"We now struck the most mountainous part 
of the Schwarzwald, and were not far from St. 
Blassen. That day was a most miserable one. 

126 



Escapes 

Children hunting for nuts and firewood again 
bothered the Hfe out of us. However, we made a 
hut of fir branches and kept out of sight. 

"The fourth night we were completely off 
the detail map and were obliged to navigate by 
compass and an unreliable map. In that dis- 
trict of the Schwarzwald, there are very deep 
and narrow valleys. Along the bottom of the 
valleys are rows of houses and on the plateau on 
the hilltops are other villages running along the 
crest. 

"To have walked in the valleys would have 
meant much less work and less climbing up and 
down through thick brush and obstructions of 
all sorts, but we could not chance detection. 
We also avoided the high plateaus for the same 
reason and kept halfway up the slopes of the 
mountains where the going was terribly diffi- 
cult but safer. 

"How many mountain streams we crossed I 
don't know. We were continually wet through 
and ran to keep warm. Several times we met 
people. Once we came across a couple who 
sprang up in alarm and ran at top speed when 
they saw us. Lone pedestrians avoided us. One 

127 



Prisoners of the Great War 

man grunted as he passed, but others went by 
without speaking, which is unusual in the rural 
districts of Germany. 

"We usually dropped down for an hour's 
nap early in the morning when dawn came. We 
found that a cake of chocolate had enough 
heating properties to enable us to sleep for 
about an hour or an hour and a half without 
being awakened by the cold. During the day we 
would doze after having spent part of the morn- 
ing or afternoon drying our clothes. 

"The country was now almost impassable. 
Our food was running low and we lived prin- 
cipally on raw potatoes, turnips, and carrots 
which were very welcome indeed. We feared 
that we would strike the country adjacent to 
the Rhine without knowing it. We had no maps 
now, so went very carefully. We made one mis- 
calculation which took us away from the Rhine, 
but finally we heard trains going along in the 
distance and were sure that we were near the 
Rhine valley (.f^). 

"In the early morning fog, we were able to 
creep out through a neck of the woods into a 
thicket which lay not more than a kilometre 

128 



Escapes 

from the river. We went on into the last bush 
and lay there hidden most of that day observ- 
ing the frontier. 

"We were so close to a path that we could 
hear the conversation of passers-by. In the 
middle of the day a countryman pushed his way 
through the bushes and saw Lieutenant Isaacs. 
As Isaacs was wearing a German soldier's cap, 
the farmer did not appear to be startled, evi- 
dently taking Isaacs for a frontier guard in hid- 
ing for some one. 

"However, the encounter gave us cold chills 
and we made our way back into the deepest 
part of the woods where we waited until night. 
That evening we ate our last piece of sausage 
and our last cake of chocolate. We made quite a 
ceremony out of that last meal. 

"At ten o'clock that night a heavy fog came 
up over the river. Isaacs and I had thrown 
away our shoes and all our clothing except our 
trousers. Our extra pair of gray socks we put 
over our hands so that they would not be so 
conspicuously white. We fastened our money 
and papers with strings around our necks. Be- 
fore leaving our hiding place, we greased our 

129 



Prisoners of the Great War 

bodies with lard which we had saved for that 
purpose. 

"Crawling on our hands and knees, we finally 
reached the Rhine without incident. We found 
it difficult to cross the railroad tracks without 
making any noise as the rock ballast shifted and 
started to run with each step. We got across 
the railroad, however, just in time to miss a 
guard who walked up the railroad. 

"We crawled along a high stone wall or em- 
bankment on the edge of the Rhine for hun- 
dreds of yards without finding a place where 
we could let ourselves down into the river. We 
could hear the guard below along the river- 
bank walking up and down. 

"We did not know it at the time, but we 
were sixty feet up above the narrow road which 
ran along the river edge at that point. Several 
times I lowered Lieutenant Isaacs over the edge 
of the wall to see if he could * touch bottom.' 
We could see only a few feet through the fog. 
If he had dropped, he would have been badly 
injured if not killed. 

"We found the wall to be perfectly perpen- 
dicular all along its length, and as we contin- 

130 



Escapes 

ued eastward we found that it was becoming 
higher and higher. Finally we decided to make 
a long detour inland and to travel along the 
railroad tracks to arrive at a point where our 
observations of the afternoon had led us to be- 
lieve that there might be a break in the em- 
bankment. 

"We crawled back through the wet grass on 
our hands and knees. Several times we were 
stopped by walls, buildings, and perpendicular 
walls enclosing gullies, but finally we reached 
the point aimed at. I started to crawl through 
some dead blackberry bushes which cracked 
ominously. Instantly a guard threw his torch 
all around. He fussed about for five minutes but 
fortunately did not throw its rays on us hiding 
in the bushes. 

"It was a close shave and we breathed hard 
after that. However, the incident gave us the 
location of the guard. We made a detour of the 
bushes and crept down a creek right under the 
guard's nose. We made our every move for that 
last hundred yards a careful study. It took us 
nearly two hours to go that three hundred feet 
down the creek to the Rhine. 

131 



Prisoners of the Great War 

"I came to the river first and was suddenly- 
swept off by the current without having an op- 
portunity to take off the rest of my clothes. 
The Rhine has a terrific current at the point we 
crossed, and I had a hard fight to get my trou- 
sers off. Eddies and whirlpools buffeted me 
about, and the current, instead of carrying me 
to the Swiss shore, carried me back toward 
Bocheland. 

"Lieutenant Isaacs and I lost each other in 
the river. We both had a hard fight to make the 
Swiss shore six hundred feet off. We suffered 
much from the icy water which made us both 
fear that we would go down with cramps. I 
landed on a sandy spit and crawled through the 
bushes to the Swiss railroad line paralleling the 
river. 

"I ran down the railroad track to keep my 
circulation up. There were no houses or fron- 
tier guards in sight. Finally I came to a country 
tavern. I shouted up and explained my predica- 
ment. The patronne's son came down and put 
me to bed, all muddy as I was. Then the pa- 
tronne's daughters, pink cheeked and smiling, 
prepared hot coffee and schnapps for me. 

132 



Escapes 

"The son of the house went out to find 
Isaacs. He came back after a long search with- 
out finding him and my heart sank. I feared he 
had been lost. Imagine my joy when a frontier 
guard came in half an hour later with the word 
that Isaacs had landed farther up the river and 
would soon come down to the inn. 

"I want to correct the impression that the 
Swiss along the frontier are pro-German. They 
are the kindest and best-natured people imag- 
inable. What they have seen of the Germans, 
and the million French and Belgian evacues, 
who have come through at Basle from the in- 
vaded districts of northern France and Bel- 
gium, have made them more determined than 
ever to defend their neutrality against their 
northern neighbors. 

"I want to say a final word about the Ameri- 
can Red Cross in Switzerland. The food boxes 
sent by the American Red Cross to the boys in 
Germany come through regularly and the food 
sent was of the most substantial sort. I can say 
that American soldier prisoners in Germany 
were as well fed as they are while in the Ameri- 
can Army. The French and Belgian officers may 
. 133 



Prisoners of the Great War 

get more luxuries, such as pate-de-fois gras and 
the hke, but as for wholesome food, nothing 
can equal the Red Cross packages. American 
soldiers were fed as well as French or Belgian 
officers.''^ 

Lieutenant Willis, after a short stay in Berne 
after his escape from Germany, left for France 
on October 17. He was accompanied by Lieu- 
tenant Edouard Isaacs, of Portsmouth, Vir- 
ginia, and by Lieutenant George Puryear, 
of Memphis, Tennessee, who escaped from 
Villingen at the same time, but who got to 
the Rhine and into Switzerland a day before 
they did. 

In the party was the fourth American to 
escape from Germany within a week, Frank 
Sovicki, a Polish-American of Shenandoah, 
Pennsylvania, who escaped from a farm seven 
kilometres from the Swiss frontier a few days 
before Lieutenant Puryear and Lieutenants 
Willis and Isaacs came across. Sovicki was the 
first American private to escape from a German 
prison camp, and Lieutenant Puryear the first 
American officer to duplicate the trick. All four 

134 



Escapes 

men expressed the determination to return at 
once to the front in France. 

Private Sovicki was sent to Camp Rastatt, 
but was put to work on a farm about seven or 
eight kilometres from the Swiss frontier. He 
seems to have escaped without great difHcul- 
ties on October 8, 1918, and was in excellent 
condition when he arrived at the American 
Red Cross, October 10. 

Private Sovicki stated he was captured at 
Chateau-Thierry July 13. He was hiding in a 
shell-hole waiting for the time to come when he 
could perhaps get back to his company, when 
he was surrounded by seven German soldiers. 
They treated him rather roughly. For two days 
he was kept behind the lines without any food 
or water. His spiral puttees, watch and chain, 
together with a small amount of money, were 
taken away from him. His shoes, however, 
which were very wet and muddy and looked to 
be of practically no value, he was able to re- 
tain. He was taken to Laon, where he was 
placed at work, and stayed there for about a 
month. According to his statement, the Ameri- 
cans were given the hardest kind of work to 

135 



Prisoners of the Great War 

do, and the prisoners of other nationahties were 
given work only after all the Americans had 
been assigned. 

For food, they received hot water for break- 
fast, a soup (little more than water) for dinner, 
and for supper hot water again. The ration of 
bread was three pounds for each seven men. 
Treatment here was very brutal, and he states 
that several men were actually hit with rifles 
until blood flowed from their veins. 

From Laon, he was sent to Rastatt. The 
journey was accomplished in three days and 
three nights. They were shipped like cattle in 
freight cars, in which fifty men were crowded. 
Each man had for the journey one and one half 
pounds of bread, and they were allowed to have 
their canteens filled with water twice during 
the journey. At Rastatt, the American Help 
Committee provided him with food and cloth- 
ing, and gave him five marks. The conditions in 
the camp he stated were good; the place was 
clean and comfortable. The beds of the men 
were arranged in two tiers, provided with mat- 
tresses. Each man was furnished with two 
blankets, which he states had been taken from 



Escapes 

Russia. They were of good size, but quite thin. 
He complains that when the weekly rations 
were given out, the German censors would open 
every can. In this way, of course, a great deal of 
the food was spoiled before the men could eat it. 
After staying at Rastatt fifteen days, he was 
sent to the farm seven kilometres from the 
Swiss border, where he was put at work as an 
ordinary farm laborer. In this farm were also 
about fifteen Russian prisoners, and they all 
slept together in the same room in the bam. 
The farmer had four cows, and whenever 
milked, soldiers came and took the milk. They 
also came every week with wagons and loaded 
up everything on the farm, — potatoes, ap- 
ples, chickens, or anything else available. The 
smallest bit of food, rotten or good, was cooked 
for use. One mark was the price of one potato. 
Old men and women who were sick could get 
nothing. Shoes were made of wood soles with 
some kind of paper top, and were useless in wet 
weather. There were no horses to be seen, and 
only a few cows. Women and children were do- 
ing the work. The son of the farmer, who had 
returned from the front, was obliged to send his 

137 



Prisoners of the Great War 

uniform back for use by some other soldier; this 
included his shoes, hat, and all military equip- 
ment. This German soldier told Sovicki that 
in two months all would be over, as every day 
the Germans were falling back, and also that 
the supplies for the soldiers were very scarce. 
This son treated him decently and showed him 
how to do things without pushing him. He often 
found children crying and hungry. There was 
no silver coin in Germany; only paper money 
was used. 

He also said that whenever horses, whether 
wounded or sick, died, soldiers would cut off 
pieces of meat with their knives and put them in 
their sacks to be cooked at the first opportunity. 
Other observations gave the impression that 
people were very dissatisfied, and that every- 
body was longing for peace. 

Following are brief accounts of three escapes 
into Holland from German prison camps. 

Lieutenant Robert Alexander Anderson, U.S. 
Air Forces, attached to 40th Squadron, R.A.F. ; 
home address, Honolulu; born June 6, 1894, in 
Honolulu; before the war was an electrical en- 

138 



Escapes 

gineer. Escaped by way of Holland, reaching 
there October 23, 1918. He was captured Au- 
gust 27, 191 8, five miles southeast of Arras. 
Had a bullet wound just below the left knee, 
also a piece of explosive bullet in left hip and 
right calf, all fresh wounds. The German medi- 
cal treatment consisted of painting with iodine 
and bandaging, and a little later injecting with 
anti-tetanus fluid. Treatment was fair. He was 
only given one bowl of soup and a piece of 
bread on the journey to the hospital at Mons. 
This trip took from noon one day until mid- 
night the next day and was by light railway to 
Douai, and on the floor of a box car to Mons. 
He was placed in the hospital called Marchen- 
schule at Mons. There were three hundred men 
in the hospital — British, French, Russians, 
Italians, Belgian civilians, and two Americans. 
He was detained at the concentration camp at 
Fresnes, where men and R.A.F. officers were 
collected to be sent to Germany. He stated 
that the guards were stupid and unsuspicious, 
and it never occurred to them that any one 
would wish to escape; that they were in general 
easy to evade. The prison consisted of an old 

139 



Prisoners of the Great War 

brewery, from which all machinery had been 
removed, very dirty and full of fleas and other 
vermin. Bedding consisted of straw mattress 
and two blankets. There was no heating or 
lighting, and no bathing facilities. He saw no 
cruelty to American or other ofiicers. For the 
first attempt to escape, he was given fourteen 
days in solitary confinement on 200 grs. of 
bread per day, and water. The food consisted of 
200 to 300 grs. of bread per day, very dark col- 
ored and soggy, acorn coffee at 7 a.m. and 4 p.m., 
and soup at noon. He states that the British 
prisoners never received anything until from 
four months to a year's time, in the way of 
relief supplies. He was allowed to write hos- 
pital cards of ten lines a month and two letters 
of 20 lines. He states that he knew of the enemy 
using explosive bullets. He escaped at 10 p.m., 
September 26, I918, from the camp at Fresnes. 
He further says that the people were very badly 
off for food and clothes and much dissatisfied; 
also that prices were very high and, according 
to statements of civilians, that there was much 
desertion, and no petrol for motor transporta- 
tion. 

140 



Escapes 

Lieutenant John Owen Donaldson, U.S. Air 
Service, attached to 326 Squadron, R.A.F. ; son 
of General T. Q. Donaldson, 182 Wyoming 
Avenue, Washington, D.C.; born May 14, 
1897; was a student at Cornell University be- 
fore the war. Escaped by way of Holland, 
reaching there October 23, 191 8. Was captured 
September 21, 19 18, south of Douai, France. 
He was in the prison camp at Douai, then 
Conde, and afterwards Fresnes. Douai was a 
permanent camp; Conde was a temporary 
camp for sending men to Germany. The com- 
mandant in general treated the men well. The 
second in command, a sergeant major, showed 
cruelty to the men, but respect to a live officer. 
Lodgings were bad; three blankets were allowed 
to a man, but were full of lice and fleas. No 
heating, no lights, and no attention paid to 
ventilation. No soap and no toilet facilities. 
For attempting to escape from the prison at 
Conde, he was given solitary confinement on 
200 grs. of bread and water a day for two 
weeks. This had a bad effect for the first six 
days. After that, British soldiers brought food. 
The camp food consisted of 200 to 300 grs. of 

141 



Prisoners of the Great War 

bread per day, soup and coffee, — the bread 
very sour, the soup thin, and the coffee made 
out of burnt barley. He escaped at 9.30 p.m., 
September 26, 191 8, from Fresnes, by taking 
the tiles off the roof and escaping through a 
hole. He states that the Germans are badly in 
need of food and that soldiers were sending 
bread from the front back to Germany; that 
the Belgians advised him that many Germans 
had deserted. 

Thomas Elingwood Tillinghart, Lieutenant 
17th Aerial Squadron, escaped by way of Hol- 
land, reaching there October 23, 191 8. Home, 
Westerly, Rhode Island; born May 29, 1893, at 
Providence, Rhode Island; was a student when 
he entered the service; captured September 22, 
191 8, two miles southwest of Cambrai. 

On the date of his capture, he was walked to 
a small village back of Cambrai. He was there 
questioned and put in a church for the night. 
The next day he was taken to Fresnes four 
miles north of Valenciennes. There were two 
prison camps there under the same officer. In 
one were British soldiers who had been there a 
long time, two or three years, and in the other 
^142 • 



Escapes 

were British soldiers who had been taken in 
March, 191 8. The former were receiving pack- 
ages from home, but the latter were depending 
on just what the Germans furnished them, con- 
sisting of coffee and bread for breakfast and 
supper, and cabbage soup for the noon meal. 
They received 200 grs. of bread a day. Lieuten- 
ant Tillinghart was in this camp and could not 
eat the food. He escaped from this prison on the 
evening of his transfer. Each prisoner had one 
blanket and slept on the floor of a very poorly 
ventilated factory. The officers had a room to 
themselves with mattresses and two blankets. 
The blankets were dirty and contained body 
lice. There was no heating; lighting was by 
candle. It was not a regular prison but one 
where men were detained on their way back to 
Germany. There was a small yard in which the 
men could walk, but when they were all out, 
there was not sufficient room to move about. 
They were allowed to write one postal card a 
week. Lieutenant Tillinghart escaped on Sep- 
tember 26, 1918, at 9.30 P.M. from Fresnes, four 
miles north of Valenciennes. He took the tiles 
from the roof and crawled through, dropping 

143 



Prisoners of the Great War 

into the adjacent yard. His report on conditions 
behind the German lines was as follows : 

"Food is very scarce. Men have been known 
to send bread home. Near the frontier, some 
men were given their bread and allowed frs. 4 a 
day with which to purchase their food. Military 
discipline was excellent." 



Chapter IX 

HUMAN WRECKAGE 

By the agreement of March 15 and May 15, 
191 8, between France and Germany and of 
July 2, 19 1 7, between England and Germany, it 
was provided that prisoners suffering from cer- 
tain diseases or incapacitated to a certain de- 
gree by wounds or otherwise should be interned 
in Switzerland. Many of the prisoners interned 
under this agreement were from northern 
France and Belgium. They had been captured 
in the early days of the war and had spent three 
to four years in German prison camps. In re- 
treating with the French and Belgian armies, 
their families had been left behind within the 
zone of occupation of the German armies where 
they too were in effect prisoners. All communi- 
cation was of course interrupted and neither 
knew the fate of the other. The families were 
moved about by the fortunes of war, and be- 
came separated in many instances. Frequently 
some were deported into Germany and forced 
to work in what was practically slavery and so 

145 



Prisoners of the Great War 

the separation became complete. If letters from 
the soldier went through some neutral agency 
to his old home, it was probable that the home 
was destroyed, the family scattered, and ad- 
dress unknown. Thus the separation and igno- 
rance of the fate of each. 

In the latter part of 19 17 an arrangement 
was effected between France and Germany by 
which civilians in occupied territory were per- 
mitted to pass within the lines occupied by the 
troops of their country of origin. 

Under this agreement civilians from north- 
ern France and Belgium, then within the lines 
of the German armies, were sent into France 
to the number of 1300 daily. Two trains ar- 
rived each day on the Swiss-German frontier 
at Basle, and passed out of Switzerland into 
France at Bouveret, each train containing 650 
old men, women, and children. 

Nothing more pathetic could be imagined 
than the appearance of these sufferers as they 
stepped upon the station platform at Basle, all 
their worldly possessions on their backs or car- 
ried in their hands. An old man or woman who 
must be taken at once to the hospital for medi- 

146 



Human Wreckage 

cal or surgical treatment; a mother with her 
infant child and perhaps two or three older chil- 
dren clinging to her skirts; here and there sis- 
ters of charity, priests, and teachers. They had, 
in many instances, walked miles to meet the 
train that was to carry them out of captiv- 
ity, their feet were so swollen that it was im- 
possible to wear shoes, and they were bare- 
footed or in stocking feet, especially the old. 
They had been one, two, three days in the day 
coaches — all kinds of men, women, and chil- 
dren huddled together with only such scanty 
food as they were able to bring with them, little 
water to wash with and no soap, sleeping in 
their clothing where they sat; dirty, hungry, 
destitute, desolate humanity, with nothing left 
but hope and the comfort of escaping from the 
inhumanity of their captors. 

Benjamin Vollotin, the eminent Swiss au- 
thor, discovered that many of these "repa- 
tries" had husbands, brothers, fathers among 
the prisoners interned in Switzerland and he 
determined to bring them together if for only a 
few days. This wa3 a most difficult task as it 
involved making a record each day of 1300 

147 



Prisoners of the Great War 

people at Basle; then an examination of the in- 
ternment records at Berne. If close male rela- 
tives were discovered among the interned pris- 
oners in Switzerland, it was then necessary to 
obtain permission for the prisoner to travel to 
some agreed point for the reunion; also to ar- 
range for the repatrie's relatives to return from 
Evian-les-Bains in France to this point. The 
food and lodging of the prisoners and repatries 
must also be provided. Mr. Vollotin overcame 
all these obstacles successfully and organized 
"Le Bonheur Familial" which provided the 
funds and entertainment for these reunions 
which took place at Bouveret, Switzerland. 

For five days the reunion lasted in each case 
and it was not unusual to have from fifty to one 
hundred and fifty as guests of this society. 

All the kind people in and about Bouveret 
did everything in their power to help these vic- 
tims of war and make their five days together 
as delightful as possible. There was no thought 
in this little village but one of helpfulness and 
unselfish consideration. They not only provided 
for the entertainment of the reunited families, 
but visited each train as it passed through 

148 



Human Wreckage 

and supplied hot coffee, bouillon, chocolate, and 
sandwiches. 

Thirteen hundred repatries were arriving 
daily, and the reunion could not be prolonged. 
At the end of the five days, the families were 
obliged to separate again, the prisoner to re- 
turn to his zone of internment, the wife, 
mother, brothers, sisters, children, to return to 
Evian and from there be distributed to un- 
known homes in various sections of southern 
France, there to await the end of the war and 
then to return to devastated homes in a land 
made barren by the engines of war or the need- 
less depredations and destruction of the Hun. 

This steady stream of human wreckage 
passing through Switzerland daily for months 
was one of the most pathetic incidents of 
the war. Every phase of human suffering and 
emotion was there depicted : ruthless separation 
of families, sickness, death, privation, tortur- 
ing anxiety for month after month, homes de- 
stroyed, the most sacred family ties ruthlessly 
broken, thirteen hundred victims every day 
passing out of the hands of the Hun at Bou- 
veret and into the friendly hands of the French 

149 



Prisoners of the Great War 

at Evian-les-Bains. Harmless, Innocent victims, 
each stamped with the horrors and suffering of 
war, up to July i, more than 200,000 of these 
had passed through Switzerland, n , -^n 

I herewith append copies of characteristic 
notes taken from returning prisoners who passed 
through Berne, showing in brief the conditions 
at the camps where they had been held captives. 
These particular notes were taken on the arrival 
of the train at 2 a.m. on November 9, 191 8, two 
days before the armistice was signed. This was 
a train of French prisoners : 

Camp Gustrow: Giistrow is a "Stammlager" 
well organized. There is a side track from the 
railroad station to the camp and packages are 
delivered directly inside the post-office. After 
two days' delay, the parcels are distributed. 
Drinking water is not good but is not dangerous. 
No wash-rooms in the camp; bath-rooms are 
large, clean, and open all the week. There is a 
large theatre and a cinema. Prisoners may go to 
a public house outside the camp where they 
may purchase lemonade at a reasonable price. 
Canteens are established in the camp, but sell 

150 



Human Wreckage 

nothing except toilet articles. Libraries, four in 
number, English, French, German, Russian. Dis- 
cipline not hard. Colonel in command is a good 
man and has issued special orders that both 
the Americans and French must be well treated. 
Blocks are not separated. Prisoners pronounce 
Gustrow one of the best German camps. 

Cassel: A bad camp. In 1915, 3000 French 
and Russians died of typhus. Parcels not ar- 
riving regularly. Camp is not clean. Grippe 
exists in the camp and authorities are doing 
little to prevent it. 

Gottingen in Hanover: A good camp, well sit- 
uated near an old castle, one tower of which is 
in the camp. Camp is well organized, and con- 
ditions satisfactory. Prisoners call this camp 
"seashore for prisoners." Prisoners have no 
complaints. Camp belongs to the Tenth Army 
Corps. General von Hauish, who is not well re- 
garded by the prisoners, is the Kommandantur. 

Limhurg: Americans formerly here have been 
sent to Miinster. 

Munster: Established in a German caserne, 
and prisoners consider it a great advantage to 
be housed in a permanent structure. Prisoners 

151 



Prisoners of the Great War 

are treated as soldiers and make no com- 
plaint. 

Mannheim: Three new American prisoners 
arrived on November 2. Already some Ameri- 
cans there, number not known. Camp is very 
dirty. Many prisoners (not Americans) have 
been dying recently. 

Heidelburg (officers' camp): Camp is well 
organized, and American officers have made no 
complaints. 

Montmedy: Twelve Americans were there; all 
new prisoners. This is a concentration camp 
just behind German lines and is not therefore 
visited by neutral delegates who cannot go into 
the zone of the armies. Germans can therefore 
abuse prisoners. French, Americans, and English 
are starved about ten days before being sent 
into permanent German camps. American pris- 
oners had all their jewelry stolen by the Ger- 
man guards. 

In general: French prisoners report American 
Red Cross parcels arriving all right. 



Chapter X 

APPRECIATION 

Copies of characteristic letters from prisoners 
received at headquarters at Berne, in acknowl- 
edgment of the Red Cross service: 

Christiania, October 31 

Dear Mr. Dennett: 

Just going to steamer, Hurrah! I left 
instructions in Berlin for you to be informed of 
my release on the 22nd and hoped to write a 
long letter from Copenhagen, but I have had 
hectic and busy days for a fortnight, you may 
believe. A thousand thanks for all you have 
done. 

Thank God I am going to a country where 
I can walk into a shop and buy a collar and 
a pair of shoes just as if it were a simple, or- 
dinary act such as our ancestors were accus- 
tomed to. 

Sincerely 

Henry C. Emery 
153 



Prisoners of the Great War 

American Help Committee 

Kriegsgefangenenlager 

Brandenburg^ Germany 

July 24, 191 8 

Mr. Carl P. Dennett, 

American Red Cross, Berne. 
Dear Mr. Dennett: 

Your letters of July 2nd and 5th, with 
cards enclosed, were received, for which many 
thanks. You can rest assured that I will do my 
best to inform you of new arrivals at this camp. 
Relative to your letter of the Sth inst., the 
information I can give you is : We have a very 
nice international band, with Paul J. Nagle as 
director, giving concerts each week. We also 
put a small show on every three weeks, having 
a fairly large theatre. The Y.M.C.A. are doing 
great work for us, having already sent us many 
games, books, and music. They are also sending 
us baseballs and tennis gear, as we have a very 
nice field for all kinds of athletic sports. These 
grounds were given us by the German officials, 
and opened with the band with different sports, 
the Kommandantur and other German officers 
being present,. We have membership to these 

154 



Appreciation 

grounds, all Americans being members. Our 
allies are interested in baseball and volley-ball. 
I have a small but very nice library attached to 
our Help Committee, and books to study, which 
all enjoy. 

Hoping this will be satisfactory to you, and 
assuring you that I will be glad to give you any 
information I can, I beg to remain, with best 
wishes to yourself and all 

Very truly yours 
(Sgd) James Delaney, President 

American Help Committee 

Landshut, Bavaria^ Oct. 15, 191 8 

Gentlemen: 

In the emergency rations just received 
from you we found stamped post-cards with 
the Velvet smoking tobacco. These were to be 
returned to the donors of the tobacco, and were 
to bear a few words of acknowledgment. I would 
appreciate it very much if you would be kind 
enough to drop each of them a line and tell 
them how wonderful it is to receive real to- 
bacco here in a prison camp. The names of the 
donors are: 

155 



Prisoners of the Great War 

R. T. Humble, Camp Point, AI. 
Ralph Norton, Denver, Mo. 
R. D. Lewis, 52 Westmoreland Place, St. 
Louis, Mo. 

W. T. Burkhart, 3 Centre St., Howell, N.Y. 
May LaBrash, Wimbleton, N.D. 
Also a sweater — a beautiful soft one — was 
received from Anna H. Wyckhoff, Asbury, 
Warren Co., New Jersey. 

Thanking you in advance for your many 
kindnesses which you are continually doing for 
all of us, believe me 

Very truly yours 

Henry C. Lewis 
1st Lieut, U.S, Air Service 
for the A.R.C. Committee 

Ukrainer lager, Rastatt, Baden, Oct. 25, 1918 

American Red Cross, 

Berne, Switzerland. 
Gentlemen : 

Your letter of Sept. 27th to hand and 
was referred to Ex-President Hallyburton and 
myself for reply upon our arrival here on the 
22nd inst. 

156 







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MEMBERS OF RASTATT CAMP COMMITTEE 

Sitting: Sergeant G. C. O'Kelly. Standing, left to right: Corporal W. C. 

Dietrich, Sergeant M. V. Barrett, Corporal Jules Martin, Corporal 

Joseph Stonina, and Corporal W. E. Moore 

The picture shoivs the excellent condition of the prisoners as 

they came out of Germany 



Appreciation 

Your opening paragraph accurately depicts 
conditions as they existed when our letter Sept. 
1 8th was drafted. Our attitude may have been 
extremely critical, but we were acting on the sug- 
gestion made by Mr. Ellis Loring Dresel as far 
back as February, 191 8, i.e., commenting on the 
service as it appeared to us at the time. We are 
pleased to be able to state that your service is 
A I now, according to reports of the Committee, 
and we regret our enforced absence in another 
camp did not permit us to comment favorably 
upon your good work sooner. Right here we wish 
to say, the camp committee here as constituted 
at present is most efficient and you need not 
hesitate to confide in their ability and trust- 
worthiness. We feel sure they are anxious to 
profit by your criticisms, adverse or otherwise, 
and will not hesitate to reciprocate if conditions 
warrant. President O'Kelley and Secretary 
Moore are just the right men in the right place. 
Yours very sincerely 
(Signed) Edgar M. Hallyburton 

Ex-Pres, Am. Help Com, 
Charles A. Geoghegan 
Ex-Sec^y Am, Help Com. 
iS7 



Prisoners of the Great War 

Rastatt, Ukrainerlager 
October 19, 191 8 

American Red Cross, 

8, Hirschengraben, Berne. 
Att. Mr. C. P. Dennett. 
Dear Sirs : 

It is rather hard to answer your com- 
munication of October i6, 1918, as the thanks 
I feel cannot be expressed in words for the help 
you have given my mother and the relief you 
have given myself. However, my appreciation 
that I cannot express in words shall be shown 
here in my actions as an American. 

I am also enclosing the allotment applications 
filled and signed with the exception of the sta- 
tion which I was not sure of. 

Thanking you again for all that you have 
done for me, I am 

Yours very sincerely 
PvT. Herbert F. Ueltz 
nth Engrs. Rwy. 165, Co, F 

J, Berne, Nov. 7, 191 8 

The several officers of the American Flying 
Corps, Infantry and Engineers who have to-day 

158 



Appreciation 

received clothing, food, toilet articles and to- 
bacco from Lieut. Shea, extend their grateful 
acknowledgment to the American Red Cross. 
Signed: H. C. Landon 

Captain loist Engineers 

Karlsruhe 

(Extract from Camp Committee Report of Karlsruhe, * 
October 26, 191 8) 

I shall report in full upon the last shipment 
and disposal of previous one. During the past 
week some sixty American officers have passed 
through the camp. To them you are good 
fairies and I am named Santa. 

(Sgd) Lieut. Thomas P. Shea 

(Extract from Camp Committee Report of Darmstadt, 
October 24, 191 8) 

It has been a great help to us to have received 
the clothing and food supplies sent to us. Men 
come here from the front, sick, wounded, dirty 
and hungry, and it makes new men of them to 
receive clean clothes and good food. 

(Sgd) Corporal Edward J. Barnes 

President, American Committee, Darmstadt 
.159 



Prisoners of the Great War 

Colonel Walter D. Webb, commanding offi- 
cer at Vichy, writes Am. Red Cross Headquar- 
ters, December 19, 191 8: 

"Am sure it will interest you to hear of my 
interviews with repatriate American prisoners 
from Germany. Principal topic of their con- 
versation is praise of what Amcross did for 
them while they were prisoners. Many of them 
have stated that they think they would have 
starved if it had not been for Amcross boxes. 
Many arrived here with these boxes under their 
arms, used as lockers for their souvenirs and 
personal effects." 

October 12, 191 8 

Mr. C. P. Dennett, 

Deputy Com'r^ American Red Cross, 
Berne, Switzerland. 
Dear Mr. Dennett: 

Yesterday I received a post-card from 
the Red Cross at Berne, dated August 22nd, 
saying that you have had a cable advice from 
Washington requesting that a credit of one 
hundred dollars be established for me on your 
books. To-day came your letter of October ist 
160. 



Appreciation 

in which yousay that 500 francs has been placed 
at my credit with you, by the Paris branch of 
the Equitable Trust Co., and that you have 
sent me 225 francs of this sum. Yet another 
card, dated August 30th, which I received last 
week, says that on that date you sent me 250 
francs. So that, up to the present you have 
sent me a total of 475 francs. That's right, 
isn't it.? 

I have not yet received either of the sums 
which you have sent me but no doubt they are 
on the way to me. Will you please hold the bal- 
ance which you have for me, until December 
first, and from that date send me a monthly 
allowance of twenty dollars as long as I remain 
a prisoner.? Then, at the close of the war, or so 
soon as we are exchanged, I will settle my ac- 
count with you. 

May I impose upon the Red Cross to the ex- 
tent of asking some one in your office to write a 
few brief letters for me.? It will be a great serv- 
ice which I shall much appreciate. The letters 
are as follows : 

(As these letters were personal, they are not 
reproduced here.) 

161 



Prisoners of the Great War 

I'm afraid that this is a very "cheeky" re- 
quest, as well as a very large order. But I 
do hope that some of you kind people may 
be willing to fill it. I shall be tremendously 
grateful. 

I wonder if you know how deeply all of us 
unfortunate "gefangenen " appreciate what you 
are doing for us ? Now this is not to be regarded 
as a tactful forerunner of future requests. No, 
by Jove! We swear by the American Red Cross, 
every man of us. It would do your heart good 
to see us on parcel day. The morale goes away 
up, sky high. We're like a lot of youngsters. 

By the way, the carload of emergency food 
which you sent us September 13 th has just ar- 
rived and it was most sorely needed, as personal 
parcels have not been coming for about three 
weeks, and we have a lot of new arrivals, too. 
This is not, of course, the official acknowledg- 
ment of the shipment. Lt. Browning, Chair- 
man of the Camp Red Cross Committee, will 
send you this as soon as we can check all the 
goods. 1 

I'm enclosing a paper from the Red Cross 
which I have just received. No doubt the cards 

162 



Appreciation 

asked for have reached you before this. I have 
returned each one promptly. 

Very sincerely 

Captain James N. Hall 
Offizier Kriegsgefangenenlager 

Landshut, Bayern 

October 20, 191 8 

Mr. C. P. Dennett, 

American Red Cross, Berne, Suisse. 
My dear Mr. Dennett: 

Having just received several letters, and 
being unable to answer them due to the postal 
regulations, I wish you would do me the fa- 
vor of dropping a line to each of the senders, 
acknowledging their delightful notes and ex- 
plaining why I am unable to reply direct. 

(Here follow five names and addresses, with 
statement of what he wishes said.) 

I am well, happy, content, provided with 
ample food and clothing. 

Thanking you for your many past favors and 
thanking you in advance for writing the above 
letter, believe me, as ever. 



Chapter XI 

AGREEMENTS AND TREATIES 

The United States Government took the posi- 
tion that it was not to be considered a party to 
either the Hague or the Geneva Convention 
during the present war. This was due to the 
fact that the Germans invariably invoked the 
Geneva Convention or the Hague Convention 
when it was convenient for them to do so to 
gain some point, and never hesitated to violate 
any feature of these agreements when it was to 
their advantage to do so. As the policy of Ger- 
many was to use the treaties solely for their own 
ends, violating or invoking them both at will, it 
obviously aiforded no protection to the United 
States, and the only step possible for our gov- 
ernment was to notify Germany that neither 
of these conventions was to be considered as 
binding. 

Both of these treaties specifically provided 
for the treatment and status of prisoners of war. 
As the United States was not to be considered 
a party to either treaty and as there was no 

164 



Agreements and Treaties 

prisoner of war agreement between Germany 
and the United States, it left no agreement of 
any kind, except the treaty of 1799, which only 
applied to Prussia, under which to work with 
reference to prisoners of war. We were left, 
therefore, with only the hope of humane treat- 
ment or the alternative of reprisals. 

The immediate result was that the American 
' prisoners taken by the Germans were at first 
badly treated in many respects, and there was 
great and needless delay in reporting them as 
prisoners. It was frequently months before miss- 
ing men could be located and they were not in 
a position meanwhile to communicate with 
their families or with relief bureaus. There was 
no agreement which permitted them to com- 
municate at all or to notify any one that they 
were prisoners. This made it very difficult to 
provide them with the necessities of life which 
were so essential under conditions in Germany, 
especially so with the absolute disregard by the 
German authorities of everything pertaining to 
the welfare of the prisoners in their hands. 

The need of some special agreement for the 
protection of prisoners of war was seen both by 

165 



Prisoners of the Great War 

Great Britain and France, and both of these 
countries arranged for delegates to meet rep- 
resentatives of the German Government to 
draw up agreements for the treatment and 
repatriation of prisoners. The EngHsh agree- 
ment was dated July 2, 1917, and the first 
French agreement, December, 19 17, effective 
March IS, 1918, supplemented May 15, 1918. 

The American Government attempted to ar- 
range a conference in the spring of 19 18 for the 
purpose of drawing an agreement for the treat- 
ment and exchange of prisoners of war, and the 
German Government agreed to a conference to 
be held in the month of June, 19 18. This was 
later postponed until August and then Sep- 
tember 23, 191 8, on which date the delegates 
of the two governments met at Berne, Switzer- 
land. 

The delegates of the United States were Hon. 
John W. Garrett, Minister to The Hague; 
General Kernan, U.S.A.; Hon. John W. Davis, 
Solicitor-General of the United States Govern- 
ment, later Ambassador to Great Britain; and 
Captain Hough, of the United States Navy. 

The delegates of the German Government 
166 



Agreements and Treaties 

were Count Montgelas, Minister Plenipoten- 
tiary; Dr. von Keller, Counselor of Legation; 
Major Drundt; Captain Wilke, of the German 
Navy; Von Hindenburg, Minister Plenipoten- 
tiary and chief of the prisoners' section of the 
German Legation in Berne. Major-General 
Friedrich was to have headed the German dele- ^ 
gates, but he died just before the convention 
met. 

The conference ended and the agreement was 
signed November 9, 191 8, two days before the 
armistice. We, therefore, had no agreement of 
any description to work under during the war. 
However, when executed it was the best pris- 
oner of war agreement yet drawn and would 
have been of immense value had the war con- 
tinued. 

The United States delegates held preliminary 
meetings in Paris, and as I had been building 
up a system for the practical work of locating, 
feeding, and clothing the American prisoners in 
the hands of the German forces, reporting them 
to the General Headquarters of the American 
Expeditionary Forces in France, and placing 
them in touch with their families, I was re- 

167 



Prisoners of the Great War 

quested to prepare a brief covering the principal 
points affecting our prisoners which were not 
included, or only partially covered, in previous 
agreements between England, France, and Ger- 
many. 

On September ii, 191 8, I forwarded to the 
preliminary conference at Paris a memorandum 
of the points, which, In my judgment, should 
be particularly covered In the new agreement. 
The necessity for having these features included 
had been clearly indicated by actual interviews 
with hundreds of prisoners returning from Ger- 
many, by communications received from Ameri- 
can prisoners in Germany, from reports of the 
representatives of the Spanish Embassy, and 
from long interviews with Bonita Sarda, the 
Spanish Embassy representative who had been 
visiting our prisoners in Germany and was sent 
out from Berlin at our request, especially for 
the purpose of giving this information. Many 
of the points which it was desired to cover were 
already provided for in the French and English 
agreements, and the object of my memorandum 
was to suggest matters not already incorporated 
or imperfectly covered in previous agreements 

168 



Agreements and Treaties 

and which were vital to the welfare of our pris- 
oners. Practically all of these suggestions were 
adopted In some form and made a part of the 
final agreement. 

Following are some of the most interesting 
extracts from the brief which are included in this 
book because they will bring the reader into in- 
timate touch with some of the living and work- 
ing problems which required particular regula- 
tion in order to protect our prisoners in the 
German prison camps. They also show that ac- 
tual working experience had demonstrated the 
fact that it was necessary to cover by agree- 
ment matters which ordinarily a civilized nation 
would provide for purely from a humanitarian 
standpoint. Many of these suggestions were to 
remedy known abuses of which I had obtained 
positive knowledge through various channels, 
including returning prisoners, escaped prison- 
ers, and neutral delegates. The brief is not re- 
produced in full as much of It was devoted 
to suggested extensions and additions to the 
French Accord which are omitted as they were 
principally matters of detail and not of special 
interest. 

169 



Prisoners of the Great War 

Extracts from Brief prepared for Proposed 
Agreement with Germany regarding the 
Treatment of American Prisoners of War 

preface 
In approaching the question of treatment of 
American and German prisoners of war, it 
should be borne in mind that the conditions 
surrounding American prisoners of war are en- 
tirely different from those surrounding German 
prisoners of war, for the following reasons : 

1. The German Government does not pro- 
vide adequate food to sustain life for the Amer- 
ican prisoners of war. 

2. The German Government does not pro- 
vide adequate warm clothing for American pris- 
oners of war. 

3. The United States provides for German 
prisoners of war precisely the same food as that 
supplied to the American troops, which is whole- 
some, adequate, and even elaborate. 

4. The United States provides for the Ger- 
man prisoners of war sufficient warm clothing. 

The American Government finds itself in the 
curious position of having to feed and clothe 

170 



Agreements and Treaties 

German prisoners of war in its hands, and also 
the American prisoners of war in the hands of 
the German military forces. To meet this con- 
dition, the United States Government has made 
arrangements with the American Red Cross by 
which the American Red Cross undertakes to 
do the following: 

1. Obtain at the earliest possible moment 
the names of American prisoners of war in the 
hands of the German military forces. 

2. Obtain accurate camp addresses of these 
American prisoners of war. 

3. Transmit this information to General 
Headquarters of the American Expeditionary 
Forces, to the American Red Cross at Washing- 
ton, which in turn notifies the family of the 
prisoner; and to the American Red Cross at 
Paris to clear its records in connection with the 
work of searching for missing men in the hos- 
pitals in France. 

4. Ship necessary relief supplies to American 
prisoners. 

Owing to the failure of the German Govern- 
ment to provide American soldiers with suffi- 
cient food to sustain life, or adequate clothing, 

171 



Prisoners of the Great War 

the American prisoners of war suffer great hard- 
ship, which may even lead to death, until they 
receive food, clothing, soap, towels, and toilet 
articles from the American Red Cross, De- 
partment Prisoners of War at Berne. Inas- 
much as the German Government Is unable or 
unwilling to properly feed and clothe Amer- 
ican prisoners of war, and inasmuch as the 
American Government has furnished the nec- 
essary machinery to adequately provide for 
these prisoners, both as to food, clothing, and 
toilet articles, it is clearly the duty of the Ger- 
man Government to furnish the Information as 
to the exact address of American prisoners of 
war at the earliest possible moment to place the 
American Red Cross in a position to promptly 
furnish the American prisoners of war with the 
necessary food, clothing, and toilet articles which 
the German Government should furnish but 
fails to provide. 

So long as the American Government pro- 
vides proper, wholesome, and adequate food, as 
well as clothing and toilet articles, as at present, 
for the German prisoners of war, the same ne- 
cessity does not exist for the earliest possible 

172 



Agreements and Treaties 

information regarding these German prisoners 
of war as is the case with American prisoners of 
war who must be subjected to intense suffering, 
and perhaps even death, through the failure 
of the German Government to provide the ne- 
cessities of Hfe, unless the German Government 
furnishes addresses to which the necessities of 
life may be shipped to these prisoners by the 
American Red Cross at the earliest possible 
moment. 

Under present conditions, it takes a minimum 
of approximately one month before the Ameri- 
can Red Cross is advised of the address of Amer- 
ican prisoners of war, to which food and cloth- 
ing may be sent, and it requires approximately 
one month before the food and clothing reach 
the prisoner after it is shipped from Switzerland. 
This means that the only clothing the prisoner 
has for the first two months after capture is that 
which he wore at the time of capture; that he is 
without soap, towels, toilet articles, or proper 
nourishment for this period. To reduce this 
time the American Red Cross has established 
help committees in the various camps where 
there are American prisoners, and has supplies 

173 



Prisoners of the Great War 

in the hands of these committees consisting of 
food, clothing, and toilet articles that may be 
immediately passed out to newly arrived pris- 
oners. It is imperative that these help com- 
mittees, which are organized solely to meet the 
failure of the German Government to ade- 
quately provide for its prisoners of war, should 
be given adequate facilities for the safe storage 
and care of surplus food and clothing, and 
special facilities for communicating with the 
American Red Cross, Department Prisoners of 
War, at Berne, with reference to supplies re- 
quired, or the arrival of new prisoners. 

CAMP COMMITTEES 

1. American prisoners of war shall have the 
right to elect camp committees to be known as 
"Camp Help Committees," which shall operate 
under appropriate by-laws. 

2. Said camp committees shall be empowered 
to communicate freely and directly with the 
American Red Cross, Department Prisoners of 
War, at Berne, on the following subjects: 

(a) Number and names of prisoners at the 
prison camps. 

174 ^ 



Agreements and Treaties 

{h) Number and names of prisoners in the 
hospital connected with the camp. 

{c) Number and names of newly arrived pris- 
oners as rapidly as they arrive. 

{d) Number and names of prisoners who are 
transferred from the camp, with statement as 
to destination. 

{e) Amount of food and clothing supply on 
hand, and estimated amount of food and cloth- 
ing supply required. 

(/) Under items {a), (b), (c), (J), and (e), the 
following special information may always be 
given : prisoner's name, rank, regiment number, 
company number, prison number, prison camp 
address, date of birth, place of birth, name 
of parent, relative, or friend, size of cloth- 
ing; whether prisoner uses tobacco and if so, 
cigars, cigarettes, or pipe; and condition of 
health — all as indicated on card reproduced 
on page 176. 

These cards shall be furnished to the camp 
committees by the American Red Cross, and 
shall be printed in the English language. Simi- 
lar cards may be provided by the German Gov- 
ernment to German prisoners of war, giving 

175 



Prisoners of the Great War 



Name 

Rank Your No. 

Reg't Co 

Prison Camp Address 



Prison No 

Born Date 

Born Place 

Name of Parent (relative or friend). 



Address. 



Size Clothing: Coat 

Trousers (waist) Leg 

Collar Gloves Hat. 

Shoes 

Do you use cigars, cigarettes or pipe? ..., 

Are you wounded? 

Message for family: (health, etc.) 



What do you need for clothing? . 



This card must be filled out and mailed at once in order to supply you with food 
and clothing, and to advise your family of your address. 



AMERICAN RED CROSS 
By Carl P. Dennett 

Deputy Commissioner 
Department Prisoners of War 



176 ' 



Agreements and Treaties 

like information and may be printed in German, 
and German prisoners may be permitted to mail 
them to their nearest friend or relative or to 
such relief bureau as may be indicated by the 
German Government. 

3. Said camp committees shall be authorized 
and empowered to receive shipments of food 
and clothing for distribution to American pris- 
oners of war, and they shall be provided at 
each prison camp with suitable storage facilities, 
under lock and key, for these reserve supplies of 
food and clothing. Camp committees, or their 
assistants, shall have permission to visit daily, 
whenever same may be necessary, such store- 
houses for the purpose of making inventories 
of supplies on hand, or distributing such sup- 
plies, and, specifically, camp help committees 
shall be authorized to do the following things 
in addition to those enumerated above: 

{a) Keep necessary books of account of all 
supplies received and disbursed. 

{h) Make up necessary blank reports of sup- 
plies received and distributed. 

{c) Secure proper receipts from the indi- 
vidual prisoners, and mail originals or copies 

177 



Prisoners of the Great War 

of these papers to the American Red Cross, De- 
partment Prisoners of War, at Berne. 

{d) Communicate freely with the American 
Red Cross, Department Prisoners of War, at 
Berne, on all matters connected with supplies 
of food or clothing, and all information with 
reference to the number of prisoners in the 
camp, arrivals or departures, condition of health 
of prisoners, and no such correspondence shall 
apply against the regular allowance of four 
postal cards and two letters per month per- 
mitted to each prisoner as private corre- 
spondence. 

4. Individual complaints in regard to treat- 
ment or conditions in the camp to be taken up 
with the camp committee, and the camp com- 
mittee is to be permitted to present these com- 
plaints to the camp commander and represen- 
tative of the Spanish Embassy who shall give 
the matter attention and report on action taken 
to the camp committee. Men making com- 
plaints shall not be punished for making these 
complaints. Camp committees may visit freely 
all parts of the camp. 

5. Camp committees shall have the privilege 

178 ' 



Agreements and Treaties 

of visiting men in the lazarets or hospitals con- 
nected with or near the camp to ascertain their 
condition of health, and to take them such 
articles of food, clothing, and other supplies 
as may be desired, and report on their condi- 
tion to the American Red Cross, Department 
Prisoners of War, at Berne. 

6. Said camp committees shall appoint a 
camp committee correspondent or representa- 
tive in every hospital and to be attached to 
each labor detachment and whose duty it shall 
be to order and receive from the camp commit- 
tee such provisions and supplies as may be re- 
quired by his hospital or labor detachment, 
give proper receipts therefor and keep proper 
records, copies or originals of which shall be 
sent to the camp committee. The commandants 
of the hospitals, labor detachments, and camps 
must allow the camp committee correspondent 
to communicate without restriction with the 
camp committee regarding all matters pertain- 
ing to food, clothing, toilet articles, or other 
supplies required, and the camp committee 
must be allowed to correspond freely on the 
same subjects with the camp committee corre- 

179 



Prisoners of the Great War 

spondents and may forward to such correspond- 
ents freely such supplies as may be required 
for the American prisoners in the various hos- 
pitals or labor detachments. No correspondence 
between the camp committee and the camp 
committee correspondent in hospitals or on 
labor detachments shall count against the reg- 
ular allowance of four postals and two letters 
per month. 

7. Camp committees and camp committee 
correspondents on labor detachments and in 
hospitals must select such assistants as may be 
necessary to properly carry on their work, not 
less than one man for each five hundred pris- 
oners belonging to each camp, whether the 
prisoners are all at the camp or out on working 
detachments, but never fewer than two assist- 
ants. They must not be required to work at any 
other occupation as their entire time will be 
consumed in keeping the necessary records, 
attending to the proper distribution of food 
supplies, making the necessary reports in con- 
nection therewith, considering complaints of 
prisoners, visiting the camp hospitals and doing 
general welfare work for their fellow prisoners. 

180 ' 



Agreements and Treaties 

8. The help committees, the camp committee 
correspondents on labor detachments, and their 
assistants shall not be transferred from the 
camp to which they are appointed except for 
very important reasons which shall be clearly 
stated to the camp help committee and com- 
municated through the camp help committee 
to the American Red Cross, Department Pris- 
oners of War, at Berne, and to the Spanish 
Embassy at Berlin. Under no circumstances, 
shall they be transferred until thirty days after 
notice of transfer and their successors have been 
elected and have taken over the supplies and 
work and issued proper receipts for supplies 
received, copies of which must be sent to the 
American Red Cross at Berne. The American 
Red Cross at Berne can protest against such 
changes through the Spanish Embassy and in 
that case the man or men shall be returned, if 
in the judgment of the Spanish Embassy, he, 
or they, have been transferred without proper 
reason. 

9. In all camps where there is an American 
camp help committee, all supplies shall be ex- 
amined in the presence of said camp committee 

181 



Prisoners of the Great War 

except private parcels sent by others than the 
American Red Cross. These private parcels 
must be examined in the presence of the pris- 
oners to whom they are sent. 

GENERAL SUGGESTIONS 

For all money taken from prisoners, there 
shall be issued a receipt or a form of currency 
against which they may draw at any time, at 
any place they may be in Germany, for the pur- 
chase of such articles as they may require and 
not otherwise forbidden to prisoners of war. The 
receipt for currency must be cashed iromediately 
by the first German authority on demand, to 
such extent as required for purchases by the 
prisoner and new similar receipts or currency 
issued for the balance, if any. 

No prisoner shall be deprived under any cir- 
cumstances of any articles of clothing. 

Note. From reports received from the Span- 
ish Embassy, and from other sources, such as es- 
caped prisoners, it is clearly established that 
American prisoners of war, after capture, have 
been deprived of their American-made shoes, for 
which wooden shoes have been substituted : they 

182 • 



Agreements and Treaties 

have also been deprived of overcoats, hats, and 
other articles of wearing apparel. On the evidence 
of escaped prisoners, Tom Hitchcock and Everett 
Buckley, it is shown that aviators have had taken 
from them their fur-lined boots, coats, and gloves. 
The matter of depriving American prisoners of 
war of their leather shoes has apparently become 
an established custom in Germany. In one report 
from the Spanish Embassy on prison conditions 
at Tuchel, the Commander of the Prison stated 
that he took the leather shoes away from Ameri- 
can prisoners of war on a direct order from the 
Minister of War. It has sometimes been the prac- 
tice to give the prisoners a receipt for these shoes 
and advise them that they would be returned to 
them at a later date, but the shoes have not 
been returned. Below is a copy of a receipt issued 
to American prisoner Tom Hitchcock for shoes 
taken from him: 

2 Gefangenen-Komp 

Lager Lechfeld Lager Lechfeld 20. 7. 18 

Bescheinigung 
Dem amerikanischen Flieger Hitchcock wur- 
den ein Paar Stiefel, ein Paar Pelzhandschuhe 
und ein Lederleibriemen abgenommen. 
(Signed) Haller 

Hauptmann und Kompagniefuhrer 

183 



Prisoners of the Great War 

It should be provided that prisoners shall, 
within three days after arrival In Interior camps, 
advise the address to which correspondence 
and packages may be sent, and should be 
obligatory. The card of advice should be printed 
In English and be similar to the card already 
reproduced, and should be addressed to the 
American Red Cross, Department Prisoners of 
War, at Berne, Instead of to family of the pris- 
oner, for reasons already stated. None of these 
cards should count In the authorized corre- 
spondence. 

All prisoners charged with misdemeanor or 
crime should be tried within seven days, and In 
any sentence Imposed, the seven days spent In 
awaiting trial shall count as part of the sen- 
tence. 

Punishments should be absolutely limited to 
confinement In properly Hghted, ventilated, and 
heated enclosures with deprivation of liberty 
and special privileges ; but no prisoner should be 
deprived of food parcels or the right to receive 
or send mail while undergoing special pun- 
ishment. 

Prisoners should not be punished for lying. 
184 ' 



Agreements and Treaties 

Note. We have had reports of prisoners mak- 
ing complaint as to their treatment, having been 
accused of lying in making such protest, and of 
having been specially punished for lying or com- 
plaining. This offers opportunities for great abuse, 
which should be eliminated. 

Prisoners undergoing punishment shall re- 
ceive medical examination when they request it, 
and shall receive any medical attention neces- 
sary, and shall be removed to the hospital under 
suspension of sentence until they are physically 
in proper condition to commence or complete 
the sentence. Prisoners undergoing punishment 
must always be protected against extreme heat 
or extreme cold. They must be supplied with 
mattresses and two blankets, and their own 
blankets, if any. Prisoners undergoing special 
punishment shall always be permitted to send 
for a representative of the camp committee to 
register any complaint as to treatment and 
camp committee president shall promptly go to 
the prisoner. Prisoners undergoing punishment 
shall be permitted to take regular baths and shall 
have proper toilet facilities provided, or should 
be permitted to go to the toilet on demand. 

185 



Prisoners of the Great War 

WORKING RULES FOR PRISONERS OF WAR 

It IS important that the rules under which 
prisoners of war may be compelled to work, 
and classes of work to which they shall be as- 
signed, shall be clearly defined. It should be 
provided : 

I. American prisoners of war should, under 
no circumstances, be employed in salt mines, 
coal mines, or any underground work of any 
description, nor should they be employed in 
marshes where it is required that they should 
stand in water for long periods of time. 

(After talking with a great many prisoners of 
war returning from Germany who have worked 
in salt or other mines, it is clear that the salt 
mines are especially unhealthful places in which 
to work, and that abuses are practiced upon pris- 
oners working underground where there is not 
the restraint upon their guards or upon their fel- 
low workmen that exists when they are above 
ground.) 

^ 2. Prisoners should be classified according 
to their ability to work in the various occupa- 
tions. Men who are unused to heavy labor, or 
men who are convalescing from wounds, or 

i86 



Agreements and Treaties 

recovering from illness, should, under no cir- 
cumstances, be allowed to work at heavy labor. 

(See Spanish Embassy report of August 22, 
191 8, showing that E. McGrath was obliged to 
work when suffering from wound.) 

It is the custom, at least in some of the 
German camps, such as Westphalia, to have 
the camp doctor classify the men in working 
categories suitable to their physical condition. 
These classifications at Westphalia are as fol- 
lows : 

I a — mines, coke furnaces, industries; 

1 b — industries and agriculture; 

2 a — agriculture and light work; 

2 bd — work in the camp; 

3 — unqualified to work. 

The great majority of the prisoners are 
placed in the first category. At Westphalia camp 
we are advised that there have been abuses and 
that the recommendations of the doctor have 
at times been changed, and that men have been 
doing heavy work who were not used to such 
labor, in spite of the doctor's recommendations, 
and that this has been responsible for the death 
of a number of prisoners; that the camp doctor 

187 



Prisoners of the Great War 

has protested to the "Feldwebel" with refer- 
ence to this conduct, but that the "Feldwebel" 
was neither replaced nor punished. 

There have also been abuses in sending law- 
yers, professors, instructors, and similar types of 
men to work in the mines. These men were not 
used to hard labor of this kind, and it indicates 
the necessity of some provision for properly 
classifying the man under medical inspection for 
the various classes of work. 

The punishments for those who would not 
work in productive fashion at Westphalia were 
frequent, and consisted of imprisonment with 
or without privation of nourishment, being 
bound to a stake, standing erect and motionless 
for hours, and exposure to cold after coming out 
of a warm room; also exposure to acid vapors 
or being placed in dark rooms. The present 
agreement should positively do away with any 
such form of punishment. 

At certain mines or industries, lewd women 
have been worked with the prisoners. This 
should be prohibited. 

Prisoners who are wounded may send tele- 
grams to the American Red Cross, Department 

i88 . 



Agreements and Treaties 

Prisoners of War, at Berne, not oftener than 
once a week, as to the condition of their health. 
The American Red Cross to transmit this in- 
formation to their families. The expense of such 
telegrams to be borne by the prisoner, or by the 
American Red Cross, as may be determined. 

American prisoners of war are to be permitted 
to receive clothing and food from French or 
English Help Committees. 

(See telegram to Spanish Embassy, under date 
of August 27th, from American Legation, Berne, 
stating that the American Red Cross has made 
arrangements with the French and British camp 
help committees to extend assistance to American 
soldiers, and requesting the Prussian Minister of 
War to authorize the commandants of camps to 
permit this assistance. Also see report from the 
Spanish Embassy at Berlin, under date August 6, 
on camp at Lamsdorf, to the eifect that the men 
were in bad condition as food supplies had not 
arrived from Berne, and the French camp help 
committee had been refused permission by the 
camp commandant to come to the assistance of 
the American prisoners on the ground that he did 
not know whether the French committee had the 
necessary permission or that he could authorize 
the French committee to extend such assistance. 

189 



Prisoners of the Great War 

The camp commandant appeared neither to have 
made enquiries nor requested instructions.) 

Facilities for cooking food to be provided, and 
opportunity for obtaining fuel for this purpose. 

Prisoner's food packages to be censored only 
once and this in the presence of the camp com- 
mittee, if there be one, if not, in the presence 
of the prisoner himself. 

Length of detention in quarantine to be 
determined, and prisoners to be permitted to 
advise of their presence in quarantine by tele- 
gram or card, which shall not count in the 
regular authorized correspondence, and also to 
receive food parcels. At regular quarantine 
camps, where American prisoners are to be 
sent, a permanent American Red Cross camp 
committee shall be left for the purpose of re- 
ceiving and distributing relief supplies. 

Prisoners not to be lodged in any underground 
huts with ventilation and light only from the 
roof, as was the case at Tuchel. 

Adequate facilities shall be provided for the 
men to do their laundry work. 

Bathing facilities shall be provided so that 
each prisoner may take a bath at least once a 

190 



Agreements and Treaties 

week. Prisoners who are undergoing punishment 
shall be provided with adequate facilities for 
washing and for baths at least once a week. 

Prisoners of war shall be placed in a position 
to execute any necessary powers of attorney 
or other legal documents which may be re- 
quired in connection with their affairs. The nec- 
essary officer for administering the required 
oaths, as well as witnesses, shall be provided by 
the captor state within one week of receipt of 
request from the prisoner, or from his camp 
committee, or from the camp committee cor- 
respondent. This service should be rendered 
without expense, and the sending of such docu- 
ments shall not count in the prisoner's regular 
allowance of correspondence. 

Each government shall provide death certi- 
ficates in such legal form as may be required to 
conform to the laws of the respective govern- 
ments, for all prisoners who may die while in 
the hands of the captor state. They shall also 
furnish death certificates for all aviators who 
shall fall and die within the enemy's lines. Each 
government shall furnish identification of places 
of burial in such form that such burial places 

191 



Prisoners of the Great War 

may be identified and visited by the families 
after the war. 

Each government shall return to the other 
the personal effects of all prisoners who die 
while in the hands of the captor state, and of 
aviators who fall within the enemy's lines. All 
death certificates and identification of places of 
burial shall be forwarded by the German Gov- 
ernment to the American Red Cross, Depart- 
ment Prisoners of War, at Berne, direct or 
through the intermediary of the Berlin Red 
Cross, the Frankfort Red Cross, the Bureau de 
la Paix, or the International Red Cross. 

The United States Government shall forward 
all death certificates and identification of places 
of burial through such channels as the German 
Government may direct. All personal effects of 
prisoners dying in prison camps and of all avia- 
tors falling within the enemy's lines shall be 
delivered to the Spanish Embassy at Berlin 
who shall send them by courier to the American 
Legation at Berne; the American Legation at 
Berne to deliver them to the American Red 
Cross, Department Prisoners of War, at Berne, 
to be forwarded to the families of the deceased. 

192 



Agreements and Treaties 

No American prisoner of war shall be placed 
in camps commonly known as "Reprisal 
Camps," or in any prison camp located close to 
munition factories or military establishments. 

All prison camps shall be distinctly marked 
so that their character may be easily discerned 
from the air. 

PRISON FACILITIES 

These should consist of the following : 
a. Air space per man, enlisted, shall be not 
less than 7.37 cu. m.; floor space per man, en- 
listed, shall be not less than 3 sq. m. 

h. Shower baths, with twenty sprays, shall be 
furnished for each eight hundred men enclosure. 

c. One fifteen-hole latrine shall be furnished 
for each four hundred prisoners. 

d. Prisoners of war, seriously wounded, or 
otherwise, shall not be sent to prisoner of war 
enclosures, but to hospitals. 

In case prisoners are to be transferred from 
one camp to another or to be sent out on work- 
ing parties, they shall be so notified twenty- 
four hours in advance and are to communicate 
the address to the camp committee, so that 

193 



Prisoners of the Great War 

mail and packages may be discontinued to the 
old address and sent to the new. 

Men on leaving camp for working parties 
shall always be allowed to take an adequate 
supply of food and clothing, also toilet articles, 
from their camp supplies. 

Hours of work shall be carefully regulated 
and agreed upon. 

Prisoners shall not be forbidden to talk to 
one another except for unreasonable periods. 

Prisoners on working parties shall always be 
supplied with a liberal quantity of pure drink- 
ing-water, also sufficient water for cooking and 
bathing purposes, and shall be allowed to visit 
the toilets upon demand. 

There have been cases where men on working 
parties have been refused permission to attend 
to the calls of nature for considerable periods, 
and have suffered greatly in consequence. 

Censors shall not strike out from letters or 
lists description of contents of packages. 

All packing materials, such as wooden boxes 
and containers, remain the property of the camp 
committee or the camp committee represent- 
ative correspondents on labor detachments. 

194 



Agreements and Treaties 

They may use these packing materials for re- 
packing supplies to be shipped to prisoners on 
working Kommandos or in hospitals, and for 
any other legitimate purposes, such packing 
materials as they do not require they may serve 
out to be used as fuel, and if it is not required as 
fuel, it should be destroyed by the camp com- 
mittee by burning. 

In all transient camps, through which Ameri- 
can prisoners pass to their permanent camps, 
there should be an American Red Cross camp 
committee stationed permanently, in order to 
take charge of the supplies of food and clothing 
and distribute them to the prisoners passing 
through. 

Adequate dining-rooms and kitchens, also 
storerooms shall be provided at each camp, so 
that the men shall have ample facilities for 
cooking their food and a warm dry place to sit 
down and eat. Each prisoner shall have a place 
at table and a seat. 

All goods lost or stolen in transit shall be re- 
placed in kind. 

There shall not be placed at each camp fewer 
than one hundred Americans. 

195 



Prisoners of the Great War 

Note. There are at this time twenty camps 
containing eight or less American prisoners. 

They shall have the right to wear the standard 
American uniforms, shoes, overcoats, and hats. 

Parcels sent from the main camp to labor 
detachments must always be accompanied by 
a list of the contents. The lists must not be 
withdrawn from the parcels but must be de- 
livered to the prisoner with his parcel. 

Parcels from the American Red Cross at 
Berne or from the families of prisoners to the 
prisoners in labor detachments must never be 
censored in the main camps to which the prisoner 
belongs, but only in the Kommando where the 
prisoner is working and always in the presence 
of the prisoner or the camp committee corre- 
spondent. He shall check the contents with the 
list enclosed in the parcel. 

The German Government shall always supply 
a proper mattress and at least two blankets for 
each prisoner, and each prisoner shall be sup- 
plied with a bed, and under no circumstances 
shall he be compelled to sleep upon the floor. 
The United States Government or the American 
Red Cross is to have the right to furnish one or 

196 



Agreements and Treaties 

two extra blankets to each prisoner and these 
blankets may be marked distinctly in large 
letters "American Red Cross" or "United 
States Government." Blankets may be in such 
color or combination of colors as the United 
States Government or the American Red Cross 
may determine, so that such blankets may be 
identified in case of theft. 

In the case of a prisoner of war dying in 
prison camp, working Kommando, or hospital, 
his personal effects shall be delivered to the 
camp committee, and the camp committee 
must forward these effects to the Spanish Em- 
bassy at Berlin, or such other neutral agency as 
may be determined, who shall forward these 
personal effects to their embassy or legation in 
Switzerland to be delivered to the American 
Red Cross. 

Places of burial of all prisoners shall be 
clearly marked and identified, and a plan or 
photograph shall be furnished to the American 
Red Cross at Berne. 

The matter of officers' pay should be covered at 
tlie time the agreement is executed, but should 
be covered by a separate agreement from the 

197 



Prisoners of the Great War 

one referring particularly to the treatment of 
prisoners of war, as its ratification should not be 
delayed by any possible disagreement over the 
other features of the proposed agreement for 
treatment of American prisoners, the princi- 
ples of the agreement on officers' pay and rate 
having already been agreed to by the German 
Government as follows : 

The German Government agrees to the pro- 
posals of the Government of the United States 
of America relative to the pay of officers who 
have fallen into captivity on either side. The 
pay to be as follows : 

1. 550 Marks, or 83.35 dollars monthly: 

a. First Lieutenants, Lieutenants and 
Feldwebelleutnants of the German 
Army; First Lieutenants, Lieutenants, 
Hilfsoberleutnants and Hilfsleutnants 

, of the German Navy. 

b. First and Second Lieutenants of the 
American Army, and the Lieutenants 
(junior grade) of the American Navy. 

2. 400 Marks or 95.2$ dollars monthly: 

a. Captains, Rittmeister, and higher 
grades of officers of the German Army; 
198 



Agreements and Treaties 

Kapitanleutnants and Captains, also 
the higher grades of officers of the Ger- 
man Navy, and the Marine Troops. 
b. Captains and higher grades of officers 
of the American Army; the officers of 
the American Navy with the rank of 
Lieutenant (senior grade) and higher, 
as well as officers of the American Ma- 
rine Corps of corresponding rank. 
As regards the other grades, referred to by 
the American Government as Class III, for 
which the German Government had proposed 
two thirds of the lower rate of pay for officers, 
while the American Government wishes to pay 
these grades on an equal footing with Lieuten- 
ants, a definite decision is reserved which will 
shortly be made public. It is proposed that these 
grades be given in the meantime two thirds of 
the pay of the lower grade and that the regular 
pay of officers be put in force immediately, in- 
dependent of this question. 

These rates of pay apply to all officer prison- 
ers of war regardless of whether they are active 
officers, officers of the reserve grade, officers of 
disposition or retired, or whether they are re- 

199 



Prisoners of the Great War 

tired officers of disposition, and it applies to the 
same class of officers who are interned as civilian 
prisoners and whose rank is certified by the 
Government of the home state. 

The German Government agrees that the pay 
to the amount now agreed upon shall be paid 
for the time already passed in imprisonment, 
in so far as the payment has not taken place at 
all during this time or not to the amount of the 
rates now agreed upon. In paying these sums, 
however, such sums are to be subtracted which 
were paid temporarily by the protecting power 
to the officers in place of the pay they had not 
received, as well as the surplus amounts which 
were paid by the American Government to Ger- 
man officers beyond the rates now fixed. The 
German Government undertakes that these ex- 
cess payments will be refunded after the con- 
clusion of peace. 

These payments now agreed upon will be 
ordered as soon as telegraphic information has 
arrived from the American Government that 
the regulations in question, in the sense of the 
foregoing remarks, have been made for the 
German officers in America. 



Chapter XII 

ABUSES 

The following incidents are related from re- 
ports received by the author at Berne, and are 
considered absolutely authentic: 

At Alten-Grabow Camp, in March, 1915, a 
man named Davergne, belonging to a regiment 
of chasseurs, being ill at night, crossed the court 
toward the toilet when a German sentinel threw 
himself on him and stabbed him with a bayonet. 
Ten minutes later he died. On complaint being 
made by the French adjutant of the barracks, 
the answer was received that: "The sentinel had 
his orders and, in killing the man, he had merely 
done his duty." 

Under-ofRcers only worked when they made 
the request in writing and signed it, those who 
would not do this being severely treated. Thirty 
Russian under-officers refused to sign and were 
taken to Alten-Grabow Camp at the end of 
May, 1916, isolated in a shed and condemned 
to walk around with a gymnastic step, under 
pretext of exercise. After some days of this, 

201 



Prisoners of the Great War 

broken by fatigue and nearly starved, since but 
few parcels were sent from Russia, and without 
them it meant famine, the under-officers stated 
to Rittmeister Gartner, commander of the third 
company of the camp, that the effort required 
surpassed their strength. The "rebels," as they 
were called, were shut up in a shed used for 
drying linen and among other things were 
forbidden to look out of the window. After 
twenty-four hours without food, when the bell 
rang for the distribution of soup, a starving 
Russian showed his head at one of the windows 
and the sentinel fired, killing him and wound- 
ing another prisoner so seriously that he died 
that night. Complaint was drawn up by the 
Russian doctor, Lieutenant-Colonel Tarlet, and 
addressed to the Spanish Embassy at Berlin, 
but was not sent, and the doctor received a 
warning from the Kommandantur. As a result 
of this incident the Captain, fulfilling the duties 
of camp major, who had given the sentinels 
the order to fire, was punished with a week's 
arrest for — "not being in the proper uniform 
at the moment of transmission of a service 
order." He had worn a cap and not a helmet! 

202 



Ab 



uses 



Colonel von Auer, commander of the camp, was, 
a few days later, promoted to the grade of 
major-general. 

Sergeant J. Planchenault,of the yzd Infantry, 
gave the following information : 

During the second part of November, 1916, 
several thousand Belgians of all ages, some but 
seventeen and others men of fifty, arrived at 
the camp of Meschede, Westphalia, all of them 
being civilians. Upon an order of the Komman- 
dantur, these men had been taken from their 
homes (Namur, Antwerp, Liege, La Louviere, 
etc.) and sent to Germany to replace German 
workmen who had been taken from mines and 
factories to be mobilized. 

The Germans called these convoys, "Detach- 
ments of free laborers." Upon their arrival in the 
camp, these "free" workers were placed in a 
part separated by a barricade from the prisoners 
of war and ordered to have no communication 
with the latter. Then the doctors examined 
them, on pretext of "health," but really to ob- 
tain the strongest for the hardest labor, which 
was not an easy matter. After these visits, the 
203 



Prisoners of the Great War 

German authorities asked for volunteers, say- 
ing that they would be well paid for the work. 
There were only a few volunteers. Then began 
intimidation by hunger against the "strikers." 
For these men, who already gave the impres- 
sion of having the germs of tuberculosis, two 
soups a day were served, wretched flour mixed 
with warm water in tubs, so well known in Ger- 
man prison camps. 

Sickness soon made ravages, and many were 
sent to the hospital where they received no more 
food than in the camp, no medicines, and where 
there were no nurses to care for them. The suf- 
ferer had a bed, that was all. There was but 
one physician for five barracks, each containing 
some sixty beds, and he merely passed through 
one or two rooms so as to make out his papers 
of attendance. One day, reaching the bed of a 
man who was dying of a kind of blood poison- 
ing, he refused to have the man uncovered 
under pretext of the odor, and left him to his 
fate. 

There were many deaths, the bodies of many 
becoming so thin that the bones seemed to lit- 
erally pierce the skin. This lasted from the 
204 



Abuses 

middle of November, 1916, to the end of March, 
1917. 

For those not In the hospitals, life was even 
worse. Many of them were sent to the mines and 
factories and the rest kept in an enclosure and 
forbidden to leave, sentinels guarding them 
closely. One of them finally succeeded in climb- 
ing over the fence into the French camp where 
he obtained bread. Others followed. On return- 
ing to their enclosure, guns were awaiting them. 
But as many still made the attempt to cross the 
wall, the guards hid and when the unfortunates, 
hearing no noise, thought the field to be clear 
and made the attempt, they were received on 
the bayonets and often succumbed to their 
wounds. If the bayonet failed, the guard fired 
on them. Other prisoners would often hear their 
cries as they were beaten by the sentinels. 

Alphonse Gaillard, a well-known poet of the 
Franche-Conte, was at Mannheim at the begin- 
ning of April, 1916. He saw Russians returning 
from the French front where they had been sent 
in reprisal. They were in rags and ghastly in 
appearance. They advanced slowly, often fall- 
205 



Prisoners of the Great War 

ing from fatigue and weakness, their black 
sacks and Astrakhan caps giving these skeletons 
a tragic look. Arrived at their barracks, they 
could only sink down on the straw beds. The 
Frenchmen took them bread and other food, 
the miserable sufferers thanking them by signs 
or kissing the hands of their comrades. Those 
who knew French told how they had been for 
months on the Western Front, digging trenches, 
and doing other defense work for the Germans. 
They had been brutally treated and suffered 
from hunger and cold, many of them dying from 
weakness or being killed by French guns. 

In April, 1916, Gaillard, together with other 
professional men, was sent in reprisal to the vi- 
cinity of Forbach, in the Valley of the Murg 
(Baden). There the men were put to hard labor 
and brutally treated. One form of work was as 
follows: A deep ditch was dug for a concrete 
wall. Carpenters had erected a scaffolding of 
several stories, on each story of which were two 
prisoners with shovels. Two big Germans threw 
earth to the upper story, the heavy clay be- 
ing passed from story to story. The prisoners, 
who had never handled a shovel before, were 
206 



Abuses 

obliged to work feverishly to keep up with the 
men below, knowing that any weakness meant 
prison and extra abuse. And this lasted for hour 
after hour, until late in the evening. At half- 
past four in the morning they were awakened 
and their toil began once more. And so they 
worked on, through the heat of summer, the 
rains of autumn, and the sharp winds of winter. 

Gaillard was sent to Raumiinsach to work 
on a tunnel four kilometres in length. In the 
darkness and the dust the prisoners worked, 
with the cry "Quicker, quicker!" ever ringing 
in their ears. At Kommando Freitag, a sentinel 
broke a Frenchman's arm with the butt of his 
rifle, and at the Kommando Krappe, in the au- 
tumn of 1916, a foreman seized a hatchet and 
broke the head of a man who paused for an 
instant. 

In order to get an exact idea of the reprisals 
at Forbach, it is necessary to speak of the sheds, 
which no neutral was allowed to visit and which 
sheltered (?) the prisoners at the end of their 
day's work. That of Kommando Holzmann, 
where Gaillard spent some months, contained 
seventy Russians and Frenchmen so close to- 
207 



Prisoners of the Great War 

gether that It was almost impossible to circu- 
late. A few beds were occupied by the lucky- 
ones — for the others, a board and bit of straw. 
There was absolute lack of hygiene and a fright- 
ful odor. The men were forbidden to leave the 
dormitory on Sunday to get air in the court. 

But when these prisoners, at the end of their 
strength, .were sent to some hospital, they found 
others in a still worse condition. There were a 
number of Roumanians in the hospital of Ras- 
tatt in November, 1916. After the debacle of the 
Roumanian Army, thousands of prisoners were 
sent to the Alsace Front to dig trenches and 
went through every imaginable form of suffer- 
ing. Nothing more terrible can be imagined 
than the appearance and weakness of those in 
the hospitals. They resembled nothing human, 
except for their great, sad eyes deep in the 
sockets. 

They went by fours for the medical "visit, 
sustaining each other, groaning as their feet 
touched the ground, mere shadows of men, and 
even then the guards struck and threatened 
them. To their other sufferings was added that 
of hunger, and at night, at the risk of being shot, 

208 



Abuses 

those who could do so, cut the barbed wire and 
entered the French prison camp to ask for a 
crust of bread. The French gave what they 
could, but It was but Httle, and at night the 
Roumanians would go to the garbage pails con- 
taining the food of the camp pigs. The sentinels 
struck them, but when their backs were turned 
the Roumanians returned again to the garbage. 
The Russians whom Gaillard saw at Mann- 
heim were occupied with agricultural work from 
April to October, 1916, when they were brought 
back to Mannheim and told they were to be sent 
back to the French front. The Russians mur- 
mured and refused to go. Threats and blows 
were in vain. The Germans then sent them back 
to their barracks and deprived them of food. 
The following day, on the order for departure, 
there was the same immobility. For two days 
the Russians opposed the force of inertia to their 
enemies. On the third day, the order was given 
for the last time. There were frightful cries, the 
Russians were kicked and beaten. Suddenly 
they all threw themselves on the ground. The 
Germans immediately rushed to the kitchens 
and brought buckets of boiling water and 

209 



Prisoners of the Great War 

poured over them. They sprang up but remained 
motionless. The Germans, furious at this stand, 
telephoned for the guard, who came with offi- 
cers running behind them. They struck right 
and left, the blood flowing from their victims. 
The resistance was overcome and the Russians 
started for the station, leaving ten dead and 
fifty wounded lying on the ground. 

In February, 1917, a number of professional 
men and students were taken as reprisal to the 
bombarded zone, and arrived at Ervillers, 
where the shells were falling close to them. They 
were placed in a miserable shack, and com- 
pelled to sleep on the ground, covered with 
mud, without even straw. They had marched all 
day without food. They had no lights, no water 
for washing — there was only sufficient water 
taken from the wells for the soup. From seven 
in the morning until six at night, without food 
or drink, guarded by numerous sentinels, they 
dug trenches and placed barbed wire within 
four kilometres of the French lines. The least 
refusal to work was punished by blows ; or they 
were fastened by wires to poles for an entire 

210 



Abuses 

day, during the Intense cold, without being 
able to move. They turned red, then white, then 
purple and finally fainted, without bringing a 
thought of pity from their persecutors. 

The order was that no one was to be recog- 
nized as ill and, even when they could not move, 
they were carried to the place of labor and re- 
mained there, lying on the ground in the cold, 
without any care from physicians or com- 
panions. 

Frequently, the men were kept at the work- 
ing place an hour after six on some flimsy pre- 
text, starving and shivering with cold. On ar- 
riving at the camps, their covers were taken 
away on the pretext that they did not get to- 
gether early enough in the morning, and later 
on the German troops stationed at Ervillers ap- 
propriated them altogether, and unspeakable 
suffering ensued. 

As for food, they were given : in the morning, 
coffee; evening, barley and beet soup, occa- 
sionally a little meat or marmalade. There was 
one regulation German loaf of bread every four 
days. The prisoners were so hungry that they 
often ate this bread at one meal, after which 

211 



Prisoners of the Great War 

they had to pass four days without bread. They 
almost lost semblance of humanity; most of 
them had barely strength to drag themselves 
back from the place of labor, and fought with 
their own comrades over the pittance allotted 
them. One evening, a case of marmalade broke 
and ran over the ground; the men threw them- 
selves down and taking it in their hands, swal- 
lowed marmalade and mud! There were no par- 
cels and no letters. They were totally isolated 
although but six kilometres from their own 
people ! 

These men were in the Somme region, in the 
neighborhood of Bapaume, with heavy rains 
and in deep, sticky mud. They were put to 
digging an immense trench with side passages, 
where they quickly took refuge when the shells 
began to rain about them. Sometimes, during 
the intense cold, they lit little fires in the 
trenches to boil water, but one day an officer 
noticed this and the fires were put out by the 
guards. At night, they went shivering to bed, 
ending in a sleep of utter exhaustion. In the 
morning, very early, they were chased out like 
beasts. 

212 



Ab 



uses 



Daily, many of them fell ill and on the pre- 
text that German prisoners were left without 
care in France, their guards refused them medi- 
cal treatment. Only the dying were taken to the 
hospitals in the rear where they succumbed. 

There were frequent air battles over their 
heads; and, as they were between the German 
and the French guns, shells rained on them from 
all sides. During the "strategic retreat" of Hin- 
denburg, they were witnesses of the systematic 
destruction of the country; towns and villages 
were dynamited, fruit trees cut down, churches 
and bridges blown up. It was "the order" that 
only a desert should remain! And, as they ac- 
companied the Germans on this retreat, they 
were often stopped to allow wagons full of 
"booty" to pass. 

They were next taken to an empty sugar 
mill between Arras and Cambrai and were 
obliged to leave between one and three in the 
morning for their work — five kilometres away 
— a long journey in the midst of raining shells. 
A number were wounded but none killed, al- 
though in a Kommando nearby many were 
killed as well — killed by the fire of their own 

213 



Prisoners of the Great War 

people while they were forced at the point of 
the bayonet to work against them. Many of 
them hid and when caught, were beaten and 
shut up in a cage of barbed wire, packed closely 
together and kept on bread and water until the 
expiration of their term of punishment. They 
were in rags, their shoes gone, their feet wrapped 
up in old cloths. \ 

On Easter Day, 191 7, their parcels at last 
arrived and that night they had a feast, which 
gave them fresh strength and courage. Then 
came further trials and more suffering, until on 
the 1st of May, they started back, passing by 
Bouchain and Denain, where the inhabitants 
greeted them with joy, throwing packets of food 
and clothing to them as they passed. And at 
last they reached the Camp of Miinster I, where 
they waited until the end of June for their letters 
and parcels and their return to the original 
camps. 

In all the localities they passed there were 
French, English, and Russian prisoners, kept 
behind the battle line, some of them for two, 
four, and some even fourteen months — at Er- 
villers, Buissy, Villers. The English were in an 

214 



Ab 



uses 



indescribable state, without clothing or shoes, 
corpse-like. There were also Belgian and French 
civilians at work near the lines. 

Captain Henderson, of the British Territori- 
als, told the author that on the night of Novem- 
ber 3, 19 1 7, he was badly wounded by a bullet 
which tore away the fleshy part of the thigh, 
leaving the sciatic nerve exposed. His troops 
were compelled to fall back and left him in the 
hands of the enemy. After lying in the open for 
a long time, he was carried in by two German 
stretcher-bearers and for seven days his wound 
was not dressed. He was put into a cattle car 
which had not been cleaned and without a mat- 
tress to lie upon. At one station, a German Red 
Cross doctor, a woman, came into the car and 
declined to dress his wound, because she said it 
smelled badly, which was doubtless true, as the 
man had been lying for days without attention. 
He stated to me that the German Red Cross 
nurses showed the utmost neglect and contempt 
for the wounded Allied prisoners; that at one 
depot where a hospital train was standing on 
the siding and a troop train came in bearing 

215 



Prisoners of the Great War 

perfectly well men going to the front, the Ger- 
man Red Cross nurses absolutely neglected the 
wounded men and took care of the well men 
first. He also stated that in one hospital where 
his wound was being dressed without ether, the 
German doctor several times struck him on the 
exposed sciatic nerve to try to make him groan 
or show signs of pain. 

Cornelius Winant, of New York, an escaped 
American prisoner in the French service, told 
me of many abuses of which he was an eye- 
witness. At the time of his capture he and his 
comrades were marched long distances with- 
out food and water, in a nearly starved con- 
dition. He saw many Allied soldiers in a 
deplorable state working in the zone of the 
armies. 

The German custom of working prisoners in 
the zone of the armies and under shell-fire from 
their own or Allied guns is so well known that 
it is hardly necessary to repeat it here except 
to emphasize the fact that the Germans had ex- 
pressly agreed not to do it, and it was against 
the provisions of the Hague Convention which 
216 



Abu 



ses 



the Germans had signed. It is certain that this 
violation was personally known to the Kaiser 
and to Ludendorff. While Mr. Winant and his 
fellow prisoners, suffering for food and water, 
were in the zone of the enemy armies, the Kaiser 
and Ludendorff actually drove by in an auto- 
mobile, saw them, but took no interest in their 
condition. In contrast to this, General Head- 
quarters of the A.E.F. issued a positive order, 
G.O. No. 1 06, that no enemy prisoners were to 
be kept within the forbidden zone, and gave 
very explicit instructions as to the proper care 
and protection of prisoners of war. While on 
a visit to General Headquarters I was present 
when word was received that a few German pris- 
oners were being employed within the forbidden 
zone, and orders were issued to immediately 
remove them. 

Mr. Winant saw numerous cases of unneces- 
sary brutality on the part of the German guards. 
On one occasion, at the prison camp of Giessen, 
when one of the prisoners failed to keep up to 
his position, without a word of warning the Ger- 
man guard kicked him with full force in the 
stomach. The prisoner dropped unconscious and 

217 



Prisoners of the Great War 

was carried away. Whether or not he died is 
unknown. 

One of the most brutal and inhuman acts of 
the German officials was during the typhus epi- 
demic at Wittenburg. The camp was largely 
occupied by Russians at the time and the Ger- 
man officials withdrew all medical attention. 
They refused to supply the common hospital 
necessities, even beds and bedding. Dead and 
dying lay on the bare boards packed so near 
together that it was necessary to step over the 
prostrate forms to go from one to another. 
The meagre food was thrust into the en- 
closure by means of wooden chutes, and the 
dying men crowded out after it like animals. 
Into the midst of these horrors the Germans 
sent perfectly well French and English pris- 
oners. It was almost certain death among the 
most terrible and revolting surroundings, but 
in reply to protests the Germans said it was 
a good opportunity for the French and Eng- 
lish prisoners to get acquainted with their 
allies. 

Then there was the "schlague." A prisoner 
was stripped, bent over a chair, and held by 

218 



Abuses 

two guards while a third guard beat him with a 
thick rubber strap. 

Remember always that these things were 
done to soldiers — brave, honorable men who, 
due to the fortunes of war, had become helpless 
prisoners in the hands of their enemies, but who 
were assured of humane and considerate treat- 
ment under solemn written agreements made 
both before and during the war. 

The French-German Accord of March 15 and 
May 15, 191 8, expressly states, under Article 
25, that enemy prisoners of war will be " treated 
according to the laws of war as they have been 
fixed by international agreements ; they will es- 
pecially be protected against violence, public 
curiosity, and be treated with humanity." This 
same article provided further that "enemy pris- 
oners will be, as quickly as possible, sent to con- 
centration camps situated at least 30 kilometres 
from the line of fire. They will be assured ap- 
propriate housing and food. They will not be 
obliged to perform any work applying directly 
to the operations of war." 

Under the Treaty of Berlin, still in force, the 
United States of America and the King of Prus- 

219 



Prisoners of the Great War 

sia solemnly pledge themselves to the world and 
to each other that "the prisoners of war whom 
they may take from the other shall be placed in 
wholesome situations"; that they shall not be 
confined ; that the officers shall have comfortable 
quarters and the men be disposed in canton- 
ments or barracks as roomy and good as pro- 
vided for their own troops, and that they shall 
be allowed the same rations. "And it is de- 
clared that neither the pretense that war dis- 
solves all treaties nor any other whatever shall 
be considered as annulling or suspending this 
and the preceding articles; but, on the contrary, 
that the state of war is precisely that for which 
they are provided, and during which they are 
to be sacredly observed as the most acknowl- 
edged articles in the law of nature and nations." 

Could anything be more solemnly or clearly 
stated ? 

Were French prisoners of war "treated ac- 
cording to the laws of war as fixed by inter- 
national agreements " ? 

Were they "especially protected against vio- 
lence, public curiosity, and treated with hu- 
manity"? 

220 



Abuses 

Were they "as quickly as possible sent to 
concentration camps situated at least 30 kilo- 
metres from the line of fire"? 

Were they assured "appropriate housing and 
food"? 

Were they protected from doing any work 
"applying directly to the operations of war"? 

Emphatically no — no one of these agree- 
ments was kept by the Germans, and all were 
violated before this agreement was drawn, while 
It was being signed, and after it was signed. 

As to the solemn agreement between the 
United States Government and the King of 
Prussia — were the American prisoners given 
the same rations as the German Army? 

The American prisoners would have starved 
to death if it had not been for the food parcels 
sent to them through our organization at Berne. 
The German Army received the best of every- 
thing in abundance. Our prisoners were offered 
spoiled fish, — usually seal meat or dogfish, — 
blood sausages or sausages made from the 
entrails of animals, sometimes horse meat, sub- 
stitute coffee, substitute mustard, bread made 
from potato flour, sawdust, and similar ingredi- 
221 



Prisoners of the Great War 

ents, — absolutely the worst, foul-smelling, ill- 
looking bread I have ever seen, — bone meal, 
and thin, watery soups. 

The condition of the Italian, Russian, and 
Roumanian prisoners .who did not receive food 
supplies from their country of origin proves be- 
yond question that the prison ration was not 
sufficient to sustain life for a prolonged period, 
and it was of a character that our men abso- 
lutely could not eat. Does any one believe that 
was the ration provided for the German troops ? 
No evidence to the contrary is necessary. The 
reports of our neutral delegates on their inspec- 
tion of prison camps almost without exception 
call attention to the inadequate and unwhole- 
some food supplied to prisoners, and our return- 
ing prisoners have testified unanimously to the 
fact that they would have starved had it not 
been for the food we sent to them. I have the 
testimony in one telegram of 2200 American 
prisoners to that effect. Furthermore, our men 
were not placed in "cantonments or barracks 
as roomy and good" as provided for the Ger- 
man troops. Some of the camps were better 
than others and the conditions were fairly good; 
222 



Abu 



ses 



other camps were filthy and miserable to an ex- 
treme degree, without adequate sleeping, bath- 
ing, toilet, cooking, or hospital facilities ; and the 
men were subjected to petty annoyances and 
abuses. . ^ . 

The A.E.F. scrupulously respected its agree- 
ment under the Prussian Treaty and all pro- 
visions of international law, and although we 
were not parties to the Hague Convention, the 
A.E.F. observed all of its provisions as to the 
treatment of prisoners. I personally visited the 
German prisoners in the hands of the A.E.F. 
and can vouch for the fact that they received 
the same rations as the American soldiers, that 
they were comfortably and well housed, and 
exceedingly well treated. I have seen German 
officers in our hospitals side by side with our 
own wounded, with the same medical attention 
and comforts. I personally asked a wounded 
Prussian officer what complaint he had to make, 
and his reply was, "My treatment leaves noth- 
ing to be desired." 

General Order No. io6 issued by General Mc- 
Andrews, Chief of Staff to General Pershing, 
provided specifically for the treatment and com- 
223 



Prisoners of the Great War 

fort of enemy prisoners in the hands of the 
A.E.F. This order stated among other things the 
following: 

The law of nature and of nations will be sa- 
credly heeded in the treatment of prisoners of 
war. They will be accorded every consideration 
dictated by the principles of humanity. The be- 
havior of a generous and chivalrous people to- 
ward enemy prisoners of war will be punctili- 
ously observed. In strict compliance with the 
Hague Convention, prisoners of war will be re- 
strained within fixed limits, but they will not be 
confined except as an indispensable measure of 
safety, and then only while the circumstances 
which necessitate the measure continue to exist; 
they will not be kept or employed within range 
of their own fire; they will be treated as regards 
food, lodging, and clothing on the same footing as 
the troops of the American Army; their personal 
belongings, including medals and identity discs, 
and excepting arms, horses and military papers, 
will remain their property, and the acceptance of 
gifts from prisoners as well as the appropriation 
of articles which have belonged to the enemy^s 
dead are strictly prohibited. They may receive 
presents and relief in kind, and despatch and re- 
ceive correspondence, subject only to proper sur- 
veillance and censorship; they shall enjoy liberty 
224 



Abu 



ses 



in the exercise of their religion, and they will be 
permitted to execute wills which will be preserved 
for transmission to the proper parties in interest. 

All these provisions were observed by the 
American officers, and the German prisoners 
were so well treated and contented that I am 
informed that not a single attempt was made 
to escape. The conditions in the German camps 
were so bad, however, that our men repeatedly 
risked their lives to escape and return to their 
own lines. Mecco/J^vv^ o^ *^ovi^ iw ?/ 



Chapter XIII 

CONCLUSION 

When the armistice was signed approximately 
seventy-five per cent of the American prisoners 
were in camps close to the Rhine and near the 
zone proposed to be occupied by the Allied ar- 
mies. It appeared best, therefore, to have these 
prisoners return by way of northern France. 
About four hundred came out that way and I 
went to France and met the first prisoners 
to return, among them men who were at the 
head of our camp help committees. They stated 
that they had ample food and clothing, and were 
able to give considerable amounts of food to 
the starving Italians before leaving. 

Corporal Meehan, of our camp help committee 
at Karlsruhe, stated that after having given each 
American enough food to provide for his return, 
he had one hundred and fifty boxes left (one 
and one-half tons) which he gave to the Italians. 
The returning American prisoners appeared 
well fed and well clothed and were in good con- 

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Conclusion 

dition. As they were becoming badly scattered, 
however, General Headquarters decided it would 
be better to have them return in large groups by 
way of Switzerland. 

Mr. Ralph Stewart, of Brookline, Massachu- 
setts, was at the head of this repatriation work 
for the American Red Cross, and under his di- 
rection the American prisoners were promptly 
and comfortably returned to France. He was 
assisted by Mr. Ralph Bailey, of Taunton, 
Massachusetts, and Mr. Leon G. Levy, of San 
Francisco. All of these men went into Germany 
and personally attended to the return of the 
prisoners by organizing train service and auto- 
mobile service, negotiating with the German 
officials and seeing that the needs of the prison- 
ers were filled. Canteens were established at 
Zurich, Berne, Lausanne, and Geneva to pro- 
vide the prisoners with food and hot drinks, and 
each prisoner was given three days' rations to 
provide for him until he reached the concen- 
tration camp in France. 

Mr. W. W. Husband, of our Red Cross Staff, 
went to Berlin at once. Later Mr. Ralph Bailey 
succeeded him. Mr. Levy went to Rastatt, the 
227 



Prisoners of the Great War 

principal camp for Americans, and arranged for 
their removal. Mr. Alfred Ney, a Swiss, well 
acquainted with the German camps, was sent 
in to look after the sick and wounded. Dr. 
Ceresole, an eminent Swiss doctor, went into 
the southern German camps on behalf of our 
prisoners. Several hundred of our men were 
scattered among the camps in northern Ger- 
many, in which there were large numbers of 
English prisoners. I found that the English 
Government was to send special steamers to 
northern German ports to take their men to 
England. So I hastened to London and made 
arrangements for our prisoners in these north- 
ern camps to be brought out on the English 
ships. As the men returned they were con- 
centrated principally at Vichy, where they were 
given every attention by the American Red 
Cross. 

The American prisoners in Germany were not 
subject to any systematic or authorized phys- 
ical abuse. Their clothing and personal effects 
were stolen and it is doubtless true that they 
would have starved and suffered for proper 
clothing, had it not been for the relief pack- 

228 



Conclusion 

ages sent from Berne, but they were not phys- 
ically abused, except in rare instances. 

There were good reasons for this. We always 
had in America more German agents in prison 
or internment camps than the total of all Amer- 
ican prisoners, civil and military, in the hands 
of the Germans, and among these civilian 
prisoners were men who were held in the high- 
est esteem and friendship by the leaders of the 
Prussian military party. 

The American Expeditionary Forces, further- 
more, after June 30, always had a large balance 
of German prisoners over the total American 
prisoners in the hands of the German military 
forces. The United States Government showed 
its determination to look after its prisoners, 
watch their treatment, see that they were well 
fed and well clothed. All these things had their 
effect upon the German mind. While never con- 
templated for that purpose, it is undoubtedly 
true that the food and clothing parcels sent to 
American prisoners constituted the best possi- 
ble propaganda. 

The German population had been systemati- 
cally educated to believe that an American army 

229 



Prisoners of the Great War 

of any size could not possibly be sent to France, 
and that even if such an army was sent, it would 
be physically impossible to transport the neces- 
sary food, clothing, and other supplies. And yet 
here were the American prisoners, scattered all 
over Germany, receiving from America twenty 
pounds per week of better food than the Ger- 
man population had seen for two years, and bet- 
ter clothing. 

The effect was irresistible and spread all over 
Germany. It became a source of embarrassment 
to the German officials, and we were even told 
that we were sending more supplies than neces- 
sary and asked to reduce the quantity. We were 
informed officially that the prisoners received 
so much food that they were using their canned 
vegetables to play "pass-ball" with. Of course 
using a can of corn to toss around in a circle 
instead of a ball did n't hurt the contents any, 
but it made a profound impression on the Ger- 
mans to see good food used in such an apparently 
reckless manner. 

Because the American prisoners were sent 
food, clothing, and toilet articles to enable them 
to maintain their health and self-respect they 

230 



Conclusion 

were respected by the Germans. On the con- 
trary, ItaHan and Russian prisoners who re- 
ceived no rehef suppHes, and were starved and 
in rags as a consequence, were treated like dogs. 
If the state of origin of a prisoner neglected him, 
the Germans felt safe to indulge in every brutal- 
ity, but if the prisoner was respected, cared for, 
and watched by his own country, that produced 
a most beneficial effect upon the German mili- 
tary authorities and guards, especially the last 
year of the war, when they discovered that their 
brutality and reprisal camps were not spreading 
among the Allies the terror upon which they 
had counted, but on the contrary were making 
them fight harder and better to keep from be- 
ing captured. 

Nothing contained in this book should lead 
the reader to believe that prisoners were well 
treated in German prison camps, for they were 
not. There were thousands of abuses and physi- 
cal tortures, but happily the American prisoners 
escaped practically all of these. 

Starvation and suffering were prevented 
solely by the relief supplies sent to the prison- 
ers from the outside, and all the facilities for 
231 



Prisoners of the Great War 

recreation, exercise, amusement, and education 
were also supplied from other than German 
sources. 

The Germans simply let them eat the food and 
wear the clothing which was sent in and which 
was some economic advantage to Germany. 
The camp commanders only permitted the pris- 
oners to use the books, athletic goods, musical 
instruments, and theatrical paraphernalia sent 
from the outside. They did not furnish them, 
and they could not well deny the use of them 
so long as it did not interfere with the camp 
routine. 

The German officials were always evasive, 
tricky, and full of deception. If they could lie 
out of an abuse or a bad situation they usually 
did so. They had little or no regard for treaties 
or agreements and violated them without hesi- 
tation. They did have some -"hesitation about 
outraging the feelings of what few neutrals were 
left in the world, after America entered the war, 
and would sometimes back down from viola- 
tions of agreements when representatives of 
neutral governments took an active part in 
protesting. 

232 





< PQ 

PL, ^ 

O > 

h o 

^ - 

ffi O 

^ O 

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f^ 2 



Conclusion 

The treatment of prisoners of war in German 
prison camps goes hand in hand down the Ger- 
man path of terrorism with the asphyxiating _:^>igrVt6^ 
gases, the incendiary bombs, the poisoned wells, 'S J*u^^ 
the killing of innocent civilians, and can all be ^pf vv,*.^ 
traced to the German teachings, and the cer- h*tuf^ k 
tainty of the Germans that they could not be U/mtH^ w- 
beaten and held responsible for their crimes. ^fi^n^^AMtt 

Ferdinand Larnande, Dean of the Paris Law ^ 

Faculty, and Dr. A. G. De Lapradelle, Profes- 
sor of the Rights of Nations in the same fac- 
ulty, in a recent report to Premier Clemenceau, 
quote a letter from the former German Emperor 
to the Emperor of Austria in the early days of 
the war, in which the German Emperor wrote : 

"My soul is torn asunder, but everything 
must be put to fire and blood. The throats of | ^ 
men and women, children and the aged must 
be cut, and not a tree or a house left standing. 
With such methods of terror, which alone can ^^^e^-^ 
strike so degenerate a people as the French, the 
war will finish before two months, while if I 
use humanitarian methods, it may prolong for 
years. Despite all my repugnance, I have had 
to choose the first system." 

233 



Prisoners of the Great War 

, A recent German book, "Der deutsche Ge- 
danke," reflects the opinions of the intelligent 
classes. The leaders of German thought express 
themselves as follows: 

The German people are always right because 
they are the German people and number eighty- 
seven millions. — O. R. Tannenberg. 

Germany is the future of the human race. — 
M. Lehmann. 

Everything that has been accomplished in the 
domain of art in France and Italy since the Ro- 
man period is due to the mixture of German 
blood and to men who have preserved in their 
purity the blood and customs of the Germans. — 
H. A. Schmid, Professor at the University of 
Gottingen. 

One of our cultured warriors, falling in masses 
at the present time, has an intellectual and moral 
value superior to hundreds of rough and primitive 
men (rohe Naturmenschen) sent against us by 
England, France, Russia, and Italy. — Professor 
E. Haeckel. 

The deepest mark of the German character 
is a passionate love, pushed to the extreme, of 
right, justice, and morality. A character which is 
not found among other races. — M. Lehmann. 

Freedom which would not be German would 
not be freedom. — N. S. Chamberlain. 

. 234 



Conclusion 

Our enemies have not been honest towards us: 
we should therefore, in justice, withdraw civic 
rights from them (die biirgerhchen Ehrenrechte). 
When enemy states no longer have the right to 
bear arms, they will not seek to quarrel with us. 
— O. Siemens. 

Until the end of history right will rest with 
arms, and therein consists the holiness of war. — 
H. von Treitschke. 

Heaven preserve Germany from seeing a du- 
rable peace come out of this war. — O. A. H. 
Schmitz. 

War favors the capable to the detriment of the 
degenerate. It is the source of all progress and 
without it the development of nations would be 
impossible. — K. Wagner. 

Laugh, my Germany, that you have been rec- 
ognized as the successor of your ancestors. Does 
not your heart swell with pride when you strike 
your good sword and say, " Barbarian, Present!" ? 
Be sincere, Germany, you have never been able 
to bind yourself to culture; such clothing is not 
for your figure, it would disfigure you. Put on the 
wolfs clothing; it was thus that your ancestor, O 
Field-Gray Warrior, opposed the invasion of the 
stranger in the forests and swamps. Barbarian! 
Should we blush at this term which has such a 
splendid tone, so antique, so solemn? Are we go- 

235 



Prisoners of the Great War 

ing to tremble when the sacred name of our fa- 
ther is shouted in our ears ? Are we going to pro- 
test? Hail to the day when the world will be in- 
undated in the barbarian manner; then will the 
atmosphere be pure as the breath of the woods and 
the life of the nations clear as spring water. — 
Augustus Supper. 

This is what is taught by the great directors 
of public opinion. After these maxims of the 
German intellectuals and their frightful conse- 
quences, we understand better these lines by Dr. 
Muehlon, formerly director of the Krupp Works, 
and himself a German : 

Prussia will steal all she can in order to pre- 
r^ ; serve it. She will only restitute that which she 

^ f :'^ - - . . -(Joes not care about, and even that at the expense 
9t;6u6+v^. .Js of others. She will never take her foot from the 
5^ 0*^^ neck of the conquered. She will force all foreign 

j .. - J civilizations to honor the barbarian. She believes 
mi^mihm ^^^y -^^ 1^^.^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^ -^^ ^^iq interior and ex- 
terior. She recognizes no other power than force. 



THE END 



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